Smoking damages the structure and function of the heart and increases the risk of heart failure, even in people without heart disease. Smoking causes the left ventricle of the heart to thicken. A thickened left ventricle is stiffer and unable to contract as forcefully as a healthy left ventricle, which results in a reduction in cardiac function. Even while the left ventricle will exert all of its efforts, it can eventually get so weak that it is unable to provide the body with enough blood. Regardless of any prior cardiac conditions that have been identified, this is referred to as left-sided heart failure.
Smoking alters your blood’s chemistry too. Plaque, a waxy substance made of cholesterol, scar tissue, calcium, fat, and other substances3, can accumulate in your arteries, the main blood channels that deliver blood from your heart to your body, as a result of these changes in blood chemistry.
It is more difficult for blood cells to go through arteries and other blood vessels to reach essential organs like the heart and brain when the chemicals in cigarette smoke induce atherosclerosis and thicker blood in the arteries. This may result in blood clots, which may then cause a heart attack, stroke, or even death. According to the Heart Association, cardiovascular disease accounts for about 800,000 deaths every year, making it the leading cause of all deaths. Of those, nearly 20 percent are due to cigarette smoking.
The best way to reduce the risk of heart failure associated with smoking is to quit and adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways to begin:
Quitting smoking benefits your heart and the cardiovascular system now and in the future
● Join a smoking cessation program or support group
● Make a plan to quit smoking and reduce the number of cigarettes smoked each day
● Talk to your doctor about medications to help quit
● Start a regular exercise program
● Eat a heart-healthy diet