Smoking is the leading preventable cause of heart attacks, as well as causing the development of other diseases. Here’s how to kick the addiction
It is no news that smoking is harmful to health. For this reason, there are numerous campaigns around the world that seek to raise awareness of the risks of smoking. One of these is World No Tobacco Day, a date established in 1987 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn against preventable diseases and deaths related to smoking.
According to Dr. Fernanda Mangione, interventional cardiologist and member of the Brazilian Society of Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology (SBHCI), the main diseases associated with smoking are lung diseases. This is the case, for example, of emphysema, directly related to smoking, and cancer, particularly of the lung.
“We know that smoking is not only associated with lung cancer, but with other types of cancers as well. Despite this, 90% of cancers linked to smoking are lung cancers”, points out the doctor.
Furthermore, what few people know is that smoking is also associated with a significant increase in cardiovascular disease, the specialist points out. According to her, up to 25% of all heart attacks are linked to cigarette consumption. “And it’s not just heart attacks. There are also strokes and other vascular diseases, such as peripheral arterial blockages, heart failure, among others,” she adds.
Smoking and heart attack
Fernanda reiterates that the heart attack is directly related to smoking. “This is because cigarettes increase our body’s inflammatory activity, as well as increase the release of free radicals and endothelial damage, the endothelium being the layer that protects our arteries,” she explains.
The specialist reports that smoking increases clot formation and causes more endothelial damage, accounting for 25% of heart attack cases. “The most important thing is that smoking is the main preventable cause of heart attack. Therefore, quitting smoking is the main measure we must take to prevent heart attack,” emphasizes the doctor.
The smoker’s heart ends up with increased deposition of fat in the arteries, which occurs not only in the heart, but also throughout the body. “Cigarettes also increase vascular stiffness, so the vessels are less flexible, less dilated, leading to high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels,” she warns.
Thus, smoking has several deleterious effects on the heart, which can lead not only to a heart attack but also to a weakening of the heart muscle, which is heart failure, adds Dr. Fernando.
I want to quit smoking: where to start?
For those who want to quit smoking, Fernanda recommends seeking specialized help. “And that help includes a medical professional, who will prescribe medications exactly if you need them to help you quit smoking. They may also prescribe temporary replacement for the addictive substance nicotine,” she explains.
The doctor emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary follow-up with a psychologist and a nutritionist, as well as the practice of physical activity, which is very important. According to the expert, the risk of developing a disease due to smoking is reduced by half after 1 year without addiction and approaches the normal pattern after 10-15 years without smoking.
“Other steps we can take to prevent heart disease, such as heart attack and heart failure, is to take very simple steps to change our lifestyle,” the doctor points out. Among a number of attitudes, he recommends:
- Balanced and healthy diet, with a prevalence of fruit, vegetables, greens, natural foods and few industrialized foods;
- Avoid obesity;
- Avoid stress;
- Check for other risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
“These measures, also associated with adequate sleep, are enough for us to easily avoid up to 80% of these heart diseases,” Fernanda points out.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
