How does Smoking affect Heart?

Table of Content

• Smoking and Cardiovascular Diseases

• How Does Smoking Affect Heart - The Pathophysiology

• Smoking Cessation and its Affect on Disease

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on How does Smoking affect Heart

Introduction

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) comprise the most prevalent serious disorders in industrialized nations and are a rapidly growing problem. For a very long time CVD was considered to be predominant in males, but recent studies show that it's equally prevalent in females.

Data from the World Health Organization show that 10% of all CVDs are caused by smoking . Around 6 million deaths are caused by tobacco use each year worldwide; in the US, close to 500,000 deaths are linked to smoking, with 10% of these deaths coming from exposure to secondhand smoke. Infact, it has been noticed that the fatality rate is more in female smokers as compared to male smokers.

The notion that smoking increases the risk of heart attack and fatal coronary artery disorders has been substantiated by epidemiologic studies.

Smokeless tobacco and low-tar cigarettes have also been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Even inactive smoking increases the risk of AtheroSclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) by 30%, which is only slightly less than the 80% risk increase seen in active smokers. 

Smoking tobacco raises the risk of acute Myocardial Infarction (MI), stroke, peripheral artery disease and sudden death. Not just that, smoking can cause harmful changes in someone as young as a teeneager that may lead to serious CVD's. In this article you'll read how smoking is affecting your heart. 

Smoking and Cardiovascular Diseases

Inhaled tobacco products are highly developed, enjoyable, and quick means of delivering nicotine, a highly addictive stimulant, as well as a number of hazardous substances. The most common way that people are exposed to tobacco is through cigarette smoking.

According to a JACC report published in 2015, global estimates show a significant decline in the number of men and women who smoke every day between 1980 and 2012. However, due in major part to population expansion, the number of smokers worldwide has increased throughout this time, rising from roughly 721 million to 967 million. 

The disease burden associated with exposure to tobacco smoke (CSE) and secondhand smoke (SHS) is significant, accounting for 6.3 million deaths annually and 6.3% of years with a disability-adjusted life expectancy. Cardiovascular morbidity and death from inhaled tobacco products continue to be a major worldwide health concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries that lack the infrastructure to create and put into place an efficient public health regulation that restricts tobacco use.

Studies have shown a connection between smoking and CVD, although the exact processes behind this correlation are still unknown. At least 72 carcinogens are present among the nearly 7,000 chemical components that have been determined to be present in cigarette smoke. Only a few are aware that cigarettes also include ammonia, arsenic, lead, mercury, and radioactive materials, while the majority are only aware of the presence of carbon monoxide and nicotine. 

The lack of public knowledge about the harmful effects of smoking is much greater. For instance, 60% of individuals are unaware that smoking might impair their sex life. According to recent research, smoking changes the optimal level of essential metals in the body, which may lead to chronic disorders.

How Does Smoking Affect Heart - The Pathophysiology

• The exact mechanism of how smoking affects the heart is still unknown. The most accepted hypothesis on how cigarette smoke is causing serious heart damage is talked of here in this article. 

• Metallic elements present in cigarette smoke have been shown, by Bernhard and colleagues, to be a significant factor in the destruction of the inner cellular lining of arteries, veins and capillaries. They have the ability to catalyze the processes that cause damage and inflammation of blood vessels. 

• Damage and inflammation of the blood vessels are the "root" causes of non-communicable chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and degenerative diseases, as well as aging.

• The adverse effects of active and passive smoking are mediated by the tar or by the particles present in the gasses. 

• Both of these particles contain a significant amount of free radicals which results in stress on the function and structure of cells lining the blood vessels and heart. 

• The scavenging action of the free radicals and other reactive species produced by smoking reduce the availability of nitric oxide which is responsible for the well-being of the inner walls of blood vessels. 

• Smoking also leads to an increase in the activity of Platelets and White Blood Cells which further contribute to the damaging of cells. 

• There is damage to the structural integrity of the inner lining of the blood vessels, which in later stages causes formation of plaques, which in turn leads to narrowing of blood vessels. This causes restriction in blood flow to the heart and other organs. 

• Sometimes, due to lack of blood flow, the death of cells and body tissues can also occur which worsens the situation. 

• Smoking also has other harmful effects other than plaque formation and necrosis. 

• Smoking also affects your lungs. 

• Smoking also makes you more prone to diabetes. 

• Even erectile dysfunction and impotence can be caused due to smoking. 

Smoking Cessation and its Affect on Disease

• Smoking cessation is strongly advised in order to lessen the burden of heart diseases because it is a known risk factor for it and accounts for 20% of deaths in the United States related to  heart diseases. 

• However, when we compare smokers to never smokers, the chronological course of cardiovascular risk reduction following smoking cessation has not been established. 

• Numerous cardiovascular risk calculators do not distinguish between individuals who smoked for a period of time in their lives and those who did not. Although the ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus distinguishes between smokers and never smokers, it also notes that after 5 years, the cardiovascular risk of "ex-smokers" equals that of subjects who never smoked. However, this claim is not well supported, and it is unclear how quickly cardiovascular risk decreases after quitting smoking. 

• The benefits of smoking cessation in lowering cardiovascular events, overall mortality, post-MI mortality, stroke, aortic disease, and peripheral vascular disease are generally well supported by substantial bodies of research. 

• ( In a recent study, Duncan et al. assessed the association between the number of years since quitting smoking and CVD events by retrospectively assessing data that had been obtained from participants in the Framingham Heart Study. 8,770 people were included in the study's sample. The reduction in CVD risk among heavy smokers who gave up smoking after 20 pack-years was considerable and occurred within 5 years, supporting the cardiovascular benefit of quitting smoking. The study also shows a fairly gradual decline in CVD's risk over time. When compared to never smokers, former heavy smokers were no longer substantially related with an elevated CVD risk until 10 to 15 years after quitting. When compared to never smokers, the excess CVD risk for former smokers with 20 pack-years decreased within 10 to 15 years of quitting. This finding highlights the significance of stratifying the risk by cumulative pack-years to prevent underestimating the danger among former heavy smokers after five years of quitting. )

Take-Home Points

If your are a smoker or live near one, this is the time to stop it. The cigarette you seem to enjoy so much is making you very sick and is fatal for your as well as your loved one's heart. Though the damage done won't be reversed, it will still prevent from further damage to occur and reduce the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases in future.