Cardiovascular disease is responsible for more than 800,000 deaths in the U.S. every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in four of those deaths results from smoking.
“Smoking leads to the narrowing of the heart arteries, which can cause chest pain and, ultimately, a heart attack,” says Dr. Stuart Smalheiser, a board-certified interventional cardiologist at Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists. “Additionally, this narrowing of the arteries can occur outside of the heart, which can result in stroke and peripheral vascular disease — a condition in which the blood flow to the legs or other limbs is reduced or blocked.”
Dr. Smalheiser adds that some of the most common smoking-related heart issues include heart attacks, coronary artery disease and heart failure. And, he says, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are common in his patients who smoke.
“Smokers can underestimate how much harm they are doing to their bodies,” Dr. Smalheiser says.
Read More: How to Quit Smoking
Quit Smoking to Protect Your Heart
According to the CDC, the most important thing you can do to improve your heart health is to stop smoking. In fact, your chance of having a heart attack drops significantly within about a year of quitting.
“Every cigarette increases your risk, so cutting back is not enough,” Dr. Smalheiser says. “It is never too late to quit, and your health care provider can help you through that journey. He or she can help provide you with the tools and aids necessary to put down cigarettes once and for all.”
Read More: Fall in Love With Heart Health!
An Affordable, Possibly Lifesaving Test
One helpful heart-health tool, Dr. Smalheiser notes, is coronary artery calcium screening. This test, which requires a health care provider’s referral, calculates your current and future risk of coronary artery disease by measuring the amount of calcified plaque in your arteries.
“It is a valuable tool that can help you and your health care provider understand what needs to be done to reduce your heart disease risk,” Dr. Smalheiser says. “Plus, if the test reveals any issues that need to be addressed by a specialist, your health care provider can refer you. It is a great gateway to specialized cardiac care.”
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