Cigarette warning labels do not tell you: Smoking and heart disease

Tobacco According to scientific network reported in the United States die each year from heart disease caused by smoking number of nearly 20 million people, accounting for the total number of death from heart disease fifth. Since 1940, Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic in Rochester, put smoking and heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease) linked to the rise in incidence, more and more evidence that smoking causes smokers to suffer Many types of heart disease. Although contrary to popular belief, but even the few day only smoke a few cigarettes will increase this risk. A recent study found that for women nurses day, only smoke one to four cigarettes women suffer from increased risk of fatal coronary heart disease 2.5 times.

Smokers suffer from the following higher risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke, angina, heart disorders, sudden death, heart attack, sudden death of a heart attack and aortic aneurysm. In these diseases, coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most serious risk of heart disease because of smoking and the number of deaths from heart disease accounted for more than half the total number.According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the United States each year because of smoking deaths could have been avoided with coronary heart disease the number reached 90,000 people. U.S. Surgeon General Association of smoking as a “known risk factors of coronary heart disease and can intervene in the most important risk factor.” Is generally believed that 37,000 people die from passive smoking each year caused by atherosclerosis, but these data – different in smokers themselves – is pending scrutiny. In addition, smoking can cause high blood pressure, which will increase the risk of heart disease.

In this chapter, we look at smoking on the heart and blood vessels became an instant effect, and then talk about various heart diseases caused by smoking.

How smoking affects the heart and blood vessels

Inhalation of fumes will immediately cause some reactions of the heart and blood vessels. Smokers after inhaling fumes able to detect one of the main reaction is the heart rate increases. This may be the only one reaction can be detected, but as the autonomic nervous system – part of the nervous system that controls involuntary functions – irritant, smoking will cause other reactions that affect the heart.Started smoking in the first minute, heart rate began to rise; ten minutes at the beginning of smoking, heart rate increased speed may reach 30 percent. With continued smoking, heart rate will gradually decline, but after stopping smoking, heart rate does not return to the state of ordinary people.

Stimulate the heart of smoking is another important reaction is rapid increase in blood pressure. Vasoconstriction promote heart “work hard” to put oxygen to the rest of the body and heart muscle.

Another component of the flue gas – carbon monoxide – by neutralizing the ability of blood to carry oxygen to the heart has a strong negative effect.

Hypertension

Although some studies have shown that blood pressure between the two stages of smoking will return to its normal state, then a chain-smoking all day an average blood pressure will rise. Smoking also resulted in the emergence of blood pressure variability, or the blood pressure wavering. Although high blood pressure itself can cause heart disease, but more dangerous blood pressure wavering, but also more likely to cause heart damage.

Smoking also reduces high blood pressure treatment. Some studies have shown that smoking is actually in the treatment of hypertension and drug efficacy. One way is released into the bloodstream by the liver neomycin, which makes drugs to treat hypertension reduced efficacy.

Coronary heart disease

The main reason is caused by coronary arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis is a pointer to the heart muscle becomes blocked arteries that carry blood and narrow. Since the intimal fatty substances and the accumulation of fibrous tissue after injury, arterial becomes increasingly narrow. Many factors can cause intimal damage: hypertension, toxic chemicals (eg chemicals in tobacco), and high cholesterol.

Attracting damaged arteries and blood platelets (blood clotting factors) accumulation.Once the blood and platelets began to accumulate, this area became the cell debris and cholesterol storage bins. Eventually, scar-like tissue formation will lead to atherosclerosis. Tobacco cause cancer chemicals (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) will also increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

Although most smokers do not realize it, but the chances of atherosclerosis caused by smoking and raised blood pressure and elevated cholesterol as big chance. Combined with other factors, the effects of smoking is the largest, the risk caused by smoking is much more than we envisioned one plus one equals two effects. This is the so-called synergy – risk factors play a role in the exponential increase in the impact. All in all, smokers increased risk of coronary heart disease occurs 2-4 times, while the mortality rate as high as 70%.

There are several other reasons caused by smoking causes atherosclerosis. Over time, blood vessels caused by smoking sustained or chronic constriction (vasoconstriction) will cause damage to blood vessels inside. On the contrary, more likely to damage the blood vessel plaque accumulation. Once the blood vessel plaques appeared, smoking will facilitate the process of clogged arteries. Vasoconstriction will lead to thrombus formation and accumulation. When the plaque itself damage during vasoconstriction, blood vessels and platelets will release the inner layer of other substances; otherwise it will cause more severe vasoconstriction. This cycle can trigger thrombosis, arterial blockage and eventually lead to heart disease.

In addition to lead to vasoconstriction, smoking will by causing the abnormal blood components lead to atherosclerosis, which can lead to thrombosis and stop the blood flow. Smoking directly reduces platelet life cycle length, and to promote their abnormally accumulate together. In addition, smoking can lead to increased platelet stickiness, it will also promote their build up. This build-up can in turn cause the formation of clots, which is smoking antithrombotic factors in the blood as a result of mixing action.

Doctors usually at high risk for heart disease, prescribe aspirin, because aspirin can inhibit the formation of blood clots caused by heart disease. For smokers, aspirin in inhibiting thrombus formation in the effect is not obvious.

In addition, smoking through its multiple effects on blood lipids caused by clogged arteries. Smoking nicotine exposure can cause bloodstream resulting in increased levels of free fatty acids. In particular, exposure to nicotine can lead to increased levels of very low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein is a lipid, it can be other types of lipid side effects. Very low density lipoprotein LDL increases – cholesterol and harmful cholesterol levels, and reduced HDL cholesterol levels and useful.

Smoking also interfere with the normal metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides.Particularly interested in low-density lipoprotein smoking – cholesterol produces two negative effects. Smoking is not only useful to reduce LDL – cholesterol, and will change the existing LDL – cholesterol components, so reducing its anti-atherosclerotic effect. Smoking on low-density lipoprotein – cholesterol negative effect also increases the number of daily smokers smokers.

For female smokers, smoking and early menopause is also relevant. The emergence of menopause increases the risk of heart disease because of postmenopausal estrogen secretion of the female body will reduce the number of, and estrogen is known to prevent heart disease hormones. Even if there is no female smokers reach menopause, their estrogen levels are lower than normal levels, which will increase the risk of heart disease. For post-menopausal women smokers are still smoking, they are receiving estrogen replacement therapy after blood estrogen levels are also difficult to achieve the level of non-female smokers. Smoking makes the liver produce enzymes that break down estrogen much faster than non-female smokers.

Although with medical advances, some very effective treatment for thrombosis therapy also appears; but in the long term, these therapies for smokers ineffective. For example, after receiving angioplasty smokers continue to smoke are more prone to disease recurrence, and thus, compared with non-smokers, they need to be repeated revascularization.

Angina and heart disease

If the spasm of the arteries in the heart, then the heart’s blood supply will drop.This occurs first reaction is chest pain or angina, which is the local anemia. If the heart muscle in a long time can not get enough oxygen, then part of the heart muscle actually will dry up. This is commonly referred to as heart disease. And non-smokers compared to smokers suffering from angina and heart attacks more likely. There is sufficient evidence that smokers in the age of the first occurrence of heart disease earlier than non-smokers.

Probability of non-smokers angina smokers 20 times. In addition to typical exercise-induced angina pectoris due to outside, smoking or triggered spastic angina (due to coronary artery spasm and chest pain occurs) the main reason. Obviously, coronary spasm is likely to occur after the first cigarette smoked.

Compared with non-smokers, smokers suffer more angina, and endured a lower level of activity angina. Another angina drugs smokers are also less effective. One study showed that, with a heart disease compared to non-smokers, there are daily smokers heart disease a partial increase in the proportion of anemia by 33% while smokers who also sustained ischemic symptoms appear longer.

As mentioned above, constantly smoking causes plaque received damage, and the release of vasoconstriction clots can block the flow of blood to the heart and prevents other parts of the myocardium. These are the other two flow mechanisms and which, because of smoking appears to increase heart rate and blood pressure rise.

Due to heart in a non-optimal state should work harder to deliver oxygen to the whole body, and thus the heart itself also needs more oxygen to be maintained. Meanwhile, in the smoke when the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart can not regulate blood flow to the myocardium. This means that although the heart “request” to get more oxygen, but it does not find it, it is because there is a negative factor. Even just one cigarette can lead to overall blood flow to the heart was significantly reduced.

Carbon monoxide in the flue gas (gas accounted for 2.7% of the total to six percent) will reduce blood oxygen capacity. Of carbon monoxide gas is about all four ten-thousandth of the total carbon monoxide, which is the maximum allowable carbon monoxide industry the amount of more than eight times.

Add up all of the above results clearly damaged cardiac health.

In addition to suffer more heart disease, smokers are more likely to be repeated heart attacks. According to a forecast, smoking causes smokers, the risk of recurrence of heart disease each year than non-smokers, 6.3% to 12.5%.

Some mistakenly think that smokers of low tar and nicotine cigarettes will reduce their risk of heart disease. (Low tar and nicotine content) of cigarette advertising, and its target groups are those who worry about their own bad habits will affect healthy people. However, current research has shown these so-called “less harmful substances” cigarettes does not reduce the risk of fatal heart disease risk.

Arrhythmia and sudden death

Smoking causes increased release of catecholamines, the body’s own chemicals, such as adrenaline, and eventually the heart’s normal rhythm conflict. This conflict will lead to arrhythmias, or heart disorders. In particular, two potential arrhythmia, the smokers than non-smokers appears likely to be higher: one fatal arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation that is, the second is outside the ventricular beats.Arrhythmia appear alone when there is a potential hazard, but it will also lead to increased risk of dying from heart disease patients.

Aortic aneurysm

The aorta is transported from the heart to the body’s main artery oxygenated blood.Anyone will appear arteriosclerosis of the aorta, but smokers aortic atherosclerosis appears likely, especially high. Aortic atherosclerosis causes the formation of aortic become fragile and aortic aneurysm or vascular wall appears valgus. Such a fragile vessel wall may break. Smokers suffering from aortic aneurysm eight times the risk of non-smokers, and died of aortic aneurysm rupture probability is also higher.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiac disease is a progressive cause myocardial damage and disease continue and eventually lead to severe fatigue and shortness of breath. Over time, the heart will lose work properly operate and maintain life functions. At this time a heart transplant is inevitable.

Now more and more evidence that smokers suffering from cardiomyopathy significantly higher probability. Smoking can damage the capillaries brought through illness, or carbon monoxide in the flue gas will directly damage the heart muscle. In addition to smoking may also suffer from bacterial infection of heart muscle, and eventually lead to the emergence of cardiomyopathy.

Act now – you let results to differ materially

Stop smoking really does make your circumstances change. According to Framingham Heart Study showed that relatively mild smokers (who smoked 10 cigarettes) Two years after quitting, the risk of heart disease decreased by 20%. Heavy smokers (more than 40 cigarettes per day person) would be better after quitting, the risk of heart disease decreased 60 percent.

Makes smokers die from smoking reduce the risk of aortic aneurysm rupture about 50 percent. However, former smokers who died of aortic aneurysm is a chance of never smokers two to three times.

From 1988 to 1990, the United States die of heart disease, reducing the number of 10.4%. It is estimated, but not because of suffering from heart disease in the total number of deaths, 24 per cent due to the decline in tobacco consumption. And unfortunately, in 1990 to 1991 the number of smokers among U.S. adults did not decline.