Tobacco On The Heart, How Does It Affect You?

It is well known that the effects of tobacco on the heart, as well as on our blood vessels or on the rest of our organs, are very harmful. Smoking is related to numerous cardiovascular diseases, different types of cancer and innumerable pathologies.

There are currently 1.1 billion smokers in the world. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death ; around 8 million people die from tobacco and, unfortunately, not all are direct smokers.

In addition, scientists say that, when smoking, the risk of dying from heart disease increases between 18 and 30%. In fact, you don’t have to smoke too much to do this. These statistical data are calculated with people who smoke around 10 cigarettes a day.

However, although publicity campaigns about the harmfulness of smoking are being promoted, few people know what the effects of tobacco are on the heart. In this article we explain it to you.

Tobacco on the heart

The effects of tobacco on the heart vary according to the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Similarly, it also depends on how long this habit is maintained. However, smoking is always harmful, even in small amounts.

Likewise, not being a smoker but surrounding yourself with someone who is, also causes typical harmful effects of tobacco on the heart. In the first place, we must know that a smoker has three times the risk of suffering a coronary disease than a non-smoker.

The coronary arteries are responsible for carrying oxygenated blood to the heart. Tobacco makes these arteries more prone to clogging. There are studies that link the fact of quitting smoking with a lower possibility of having a heart attack again due to this situation.

In addition, tobacco speeds up the heart rate. That is, it increases the rate with which our heart beats. This can make the beat less efficient, because the heart does not have time to fill completely with each beat.

In the same way, it can cause, in addition to acceleration, an alteration in rhythm itself. It is another effect of tobacco on the heart: cardiac arrhythmias occur, which also impair the normal functioning of this organ.

Other effects of tobacco on the heart and vascular system

Smoking has been shown to constrict the main arteries in our bodies. By contracting, they offer more resistance to the passage of blood, so the heart needs more force to make the oxygenated blood reach all parts of the body.

That is, smoking increases blood pressure. High blood pressure carries many risks, from stroke to heart attack. The heart attack occurs when the obstruction of the coronary arteries causes the death of the muscle cells of the heart.

What substances produce these effects?

The harmful effects of tobacco on the heart, as well as on the rest of the organs, are due to all the toxic substances it contains. However, there are two substances, in particular, that are closely related to the heart:

• Carbon monoxide: it is produced due to cigarette combustion. It is the culprit that the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin, which is the substance that carries it in our red blood cells, decreases. Therefore, our heart also has less oxygen to beat and function properly.
• Nicotine: it is a substance that acts on our nervous system. It causes the concentration of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood to increase. The problem is that it increases the levels of cholesterol in the blood and stimulates the contraction of the blood vessels.

Carbon monoxide also appears to be related to increased clotting. This increases the risk of a clot or thrombus clogging one of our arteries.

In conclusion

The effects of tobacco on the heart are many and very dangerous. Mainly, it should be noted that it is notably related to the obstruction or narrowing of the coronary arteries. Therefore, it is one of the most important factors in angina pectoris or heart attack.

In addition, it is also associated with an increase in blood pressure and other peripheral vascular diseases. The ideal is to stop smoking as soon as possible. Today, there are numerous support groups and ways to try.