How smoking affects your heart

“Which pocket in your purse do you carry your cigarettes?”

The patient pulled a pack from her coat and handed them to Philip Krause, MD, cardiologist at Endeavor Health, who tossed them in the trash.

Such a bold move — by both of them! And yet, Dr. Krause said she understood his symbolic gesture and quit.

“It worked for this patient but every patient is different,” he said.

Quitting is hard.

The facts, however, are sobering. Every year there are 800,000 cardiovascular deaths, which include heart attacks and strokes, and 20 percent of those are linked to smoking.

What exactly does it do to the heart?
 

How smoking damages the heart

1. Increases blood clot formation. Smoking makes your blood more prone to clotting. This increases the risk of blood clots forming in the arteries, which means smokers are at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. For example, smoking increases the risk for pulmonary embolus, which is caused by a blood clot in the leg that travels up to the lung and lodges in an artery. Women who smoke and take oral contraceptives are at greater risk.
2. Contaminates the blood. The harmful chemicals and toxins in cigarette smoke are absorbed into the blood, which can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels and lungs. This can lead to coronary artery disease or blockages, and increases the risk of blood clots in arteries in the heart as well as the brain.
3. Raises blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine, a chemical in tobacco, causes blood vessels to constrict. This can cause hypertension, which can damage the lining of the arteries and lead to peripheral artery disease. Nicotine also stimulates the release of adrenaline, which increases heart rate, putting extra strain on the heart.
4. Increases inflammation. Smoking causes inflammation throughout the body, including in the blood vessels. For example, smoking is strongly linked to Buerger’s disease, an inflammation in the arteries of the legs, which can lead to blockage. It can also lead to leg pain while walking. Buerger’s disease can be reversed if the patient stops smoking.
5. Promotes plaque buildup. Smoking promotes the buildup of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and other substances in the arteries, forming plaque. This process, called atherosclerosis, narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart and other organs.
6. Damages blood vessels. Smoking damages the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels. This damage reduces the flow of oxygen and nutrients to heart and makes it easier for plaque to accumulate, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
7. Reduces oxygen supply to the heart. Carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas in cigarette smoke, reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry. This means the heart muscle receives less oxygen, which can lead to chest pain (angina) and heart attack.

Secondhand smoke increases the risk of coronary disease by 20 to 30 percent compared to those people not exposed to secondhand smoke. Smokers harm themselves and those around them in the same room or automobile.

The heart isn't the only organ damaged by smoking. Smoking damages nearly every other organ in the body, including the lungs, mouth, eyes, brain, bones, reproductive and digestive organs. 

The benefits of quitting

Quitting smoking benefits the heart as soon as you put down that last cigarette.

• After 20 minutes: Heart rate drops, vessels relax
• After 12 hours: Carbon monoxide levels drop
• After 3-6 years: Heart disease risk is reduced by 50%
• After 5-10 years: Risk of stroke, mouth and throat cancer is cut by 50%
• After 15 years: Heart disease risk is similar to a never-smoker

Tip for quitting

Dr. Krause's best tip for quitting: “I often advise my patients about the success of tapering by 1-2 cigarettes per day per week to gradually cut the dependence on nicotine over time. For a half a pack a day smoker, they’ll cut to 9 cigarettes per day for a week then 8 cigarettes per day and so on until complete cessation,” he said.

If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Learn how to quit smoking

Join us for an 8-week, comprehensive Smoking Cessation Program to help participants quit smoking through self-awareness and guided behavioral change. Sessions are held virtually and in person. In-person sessions take place at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital. For more information, call 773-878-6888, ext. 3.