We know that smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States and Europe, as smokers are at increased risk of developing many chronic disorders, including atherosclerosis.
The top 7 factors associated with coronary heart disease are:
- Smoking
- High cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Physical inactivity/sedentary lifestyle
- Overweight or obesity
- Diabetes
- Diet
The good news is that we have measures or drugs that reduce the risk, helping to control them, but the same does not happen with smoking. We cannot compensate its effects with pharmacological or other measures. As is well known, smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease, but it also increases the tendency of blood coagulation and decreases tolerance to physical activity and levels of HDL cholesterol, colloquially also known as good cholesterol.
Smoking also creates an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease (obstruction of the arteries that carry blood to the viscera and lower limbs, with the appearance of intestinal ischemia and claudication in the legs upon ambulation) and aortic aneurysm (dilatation of the aorta, the main blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to most of the body), and even the risk of recurrent coronary artery disease after bypass surgery.
Smoking is also a major risk factor for stroke, as inhaling cigarette smoke produces several effects that damage the cerebrovascular system. Women who take oral contraceptives and smoke also increase their risk of stroke significantly.
People who smoke cigars or pipes also have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death than nonsmokers. It is also important to avoid secondhand smoke. The link between secondhand or secondhand smoke and disease is well known, and the relationship with cardiovascular death is also clear. The risk of stroke for non-smokers who are exposed to smoke as passive smokers is increased by approximately 20-30%.
All that has been mentioned so far is the effect of smoking at the cardiovascular level, but we must remember that it is also the main cause of various cancers and respiratory diseases, although we will not expand on these aspects.
Benefits of quitting smoking in the short and long term
If you have heart disease, you may think: “What’s the point of quitting smoking now?” But this should not be a reason for discouragement, since the benefits are immediate from the first day of quitting smoking.
- Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking, you start to notice the effects, and our heart rate will return to normal, as well as our blood pressure, which will be at more normal levels.
- Eight hours after quitting smoking, the carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in the blood will normalize, making us feel much more vigorous and in a better state.
- 24 hours after quitting smoking, the risk of suffering a heart attack due to smoking decreases. Within 48 hours of quitting smoking, the nerve endings become accustomed to the absence of nicotine, which means that the so-called withdrawal syndrome technically disappears. In addition, we recover our sense of smell and taste.
- After 72 hours the effect on the lungs begins to be noticed, since the bronchial tubes relax increasing the lung capacity. This will make us breathe much better, and the lungs will begin to eliminate the dirt contained in the lungs due to smoking.
- From half a month to three months the effects are greater, and it will improve circulation, sports capacity and the body’s response, as well as lung capacity, which will be 30% greater.
- At 9 months after quitting smoking, coughing and fatigue will decrease and breathing will improve. In addition to this, the general condition and the lung capacity to cleanse itself will improve, reducing infections.
- Five years after quitting smoking, the risk of suffering from heart disease is the same as that of a person who has never smoked. The risk of lung disease decreases by half.
- Ten years after quitting this vice, the risk of having a lung infection is similar to that of non-smokers. The same happens with the risk of suffering from cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder…
Is it safe for me to use tobacco products to help me quit smoking?
No tobacco product is completely safe. These derivatives should not be used as a substitute for smoking as long-term use moderately increases the risk of heart attack, fatal stroke and certain cancers. Users of tobacco derivatives often experience the same withdrawal symptoms as people who quit smoking cigarettes.
What about e-cigarettes?
There is not enough research to show that e-cigarettes can help quit smoking. The long-term health impact is still unknown. Although probably less toxic than cigarette smoking, the vapor from the e-cigarette or electronic cigarette may also contain certain levels of toxic chemicals, nicotine and metals.
You should first try to quit smoking using smoking cessation strategies and medications. If efforts with these treatments do not work, you can talk to your doctor about e-cigarettes as a possible transitional or bridging alternative to smoking cessation.
If you switch from a traditional cigarette to an e-cigarette, this should not be a long-term solution. You should still work to identify and commit to a certain “quit date” for both traditional and e-cigarettes.
What medications can help me quit smoking?
All medications work well if they help a person quit smoking. The nicotine patch delivers continuously for 16 hours while you are awake, or 24 hours if you use a patch you have worn all night.
If the patches are not successful, the nasal spray or inhaler may also help. A non-nicotine prescription medication, such as bupropion hydrochloride or varenicline, can help many people and can be used in conjunction with the other nicotine medications.
Medications can slow weight gain. Although most smokers gain less than 10 pounds after quitting, weight gain can be a problem for some people.