Smoking is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

According to information from the Vietnam Cardiology Association, cigarette smoke contains many toxic substances such as nicotine, tar, formaldehyde, cyanide... Smoking not only increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer but also increases the risk of oral diseases, intestinal diseases, reduced sexual ability...

Smoking is the leading factor that increases the risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease. These risks are directly proportional to the amount and duration of smoking. Therefore, if you want to make your heart healthier, quit smoking immediately.

Heavy smoking has been shown to be strongly linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Master, Doctor Dinh Danh Trinh, Deputy Head of Cardiology Department, Bai Chay Hospital, smokers will increase the concentration of oxidation products such as oxidized LDL cholesterol and reduce the concentration of HDL cholesterol - a factor that plays a role in protecting the heart. These factors combined with the effects of CO and nicotine toxins damage the endothelium.

Because of the above damage processes, the body of smokers will increase vascular reactions, reduce oxygen-carrying blood supply, leading to myocardial ischemia and coronary spasm. In addition, smoking also contributes to increasing fibrinogen and increasing platelet adhesion.

Smoking and heart disease

Hypertension: The cause of hypertension in smokers is nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance that stimulates the production of adrenaline, so smoking makes the heart beat faster, causing high blood pressure.

Blood pressure returns to normal between cigarettes, but never returns to normal if you stop smoking. Smoking too many cigarettes a day increases your average blood pressure. Smoking also increases blood pressure fluctuations, which are more dangerous than heart disease.

Smoking reduces the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs. This is because tobacco contains substances that cause the liver to produce enzymes that enter the blood, limiting the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs.

Coronary artery disease: Smoking is considered a risk factor for coronary artery disease. In addition, passive smoking or exposure to environmental tobacco smoke increases the risk of coronary artery disease by 20-30%.

The cause of this disease is atherosclerosis due to the destruction of the endothelium by the toxic substances in cigarettes, causing high blood pressure and high blood fat levels. When smoking is combined with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and high blood fat levels, it causes extremely negative effects on health, many times higher than when these conditions occur separately.

Smoking causes angina and myocardial infarction. These patients often have angina and myocardial infarction earlier and are at higher risk of recurrence within a year than non-smokers. Coronary artery spasm can occur after just one cigarette. Cigarette smoke increases the production of catecholamines, which cause cardiac arrhythmias, typically ventricular extrasystoles and ventricular fibrillation, and cardiac arrest.

Aortic aneurysm: Atherosclerotic plaques weaken and bulge the aorta, possibly in the wall. These bulges can then rupture, causing damage. Smokers are eight times more likely to develop an aortic aneurysm and are also more likely to die from a ruptured aortic aneurysm than nonsmokers.

Cardiomyopathy: Cigarette smoke damages small arteries and especially the CO in cigarettes directly damages the heart muscle. Furthermore, smoking increases susceptibility to viruses that lead to myocarditis.

Peripheral vascular disease: Smokers are 16 times more likely to develop peripheral vascular disease than non-smokers. Symptoms of these diseases include pain and limited mobility. Patients should stop smoking during treatment for the best treatment results.

According to Vietnamnet