Risk factors

Smoking: Giving it up for good

Nicotine elevates heart rate and blood pressure. It also causes arteries to constrict, making it more difficult for blood to flow smoothly. Carbon monoxide, which is also found in cigarette smoke, reduces the capacity of your blood to carry oxygen, forcing your heart to work harder to supply your body with the oxygen it needs.

The bad news: If you smoke, your risk of heart attack is two times that of a nonsmoker. And, according to the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death. As many as 200,000 deaths from coronary artery disease are estimated to be due to smoking.

The good news: The risk of cardiovascular disease begins to decline as soon as smokers stop and eventually their risk level almost matches that of people who never smoked.

For more online resources related to
smoking cessation, see:

American Lung Association's Quit Smoking
Helpful hints and facts on how and why to quit..

Quitnet
A chat room, tips and other information to help you stop smoking.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Help for parents in steering kids away from smoking before they start.

Next page: Exercise for life

Cardiac Services home page

Last revised: May 22, 2007 (dh)

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