Smoking And Heart Disease

There are many ways in which smoking damages the heart. 

Smoking severely damages the lining of your arteries, leading to a build up of fatty material and a reduced space for blood to pass through your arteries.

The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry to your heart and body while the nicotine in cigarettes stimulates your body to produce adrenaline, which makes your heart beat faster and raises blood pressure, so your heart has to work harder.

Smoking also makes your blood more likely to clot.

All of these things increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease, or having a heart attack or stroke.

Quitting smoking has huge health benefits and it’s never too late to give up. Most smokers want to stop smoking. Some people find it hard to give up, but about 11 million people in the UK have successfully stopped smoking.

Being determined is essential, but there are also things you can do to increase your chances of stopping.

Your GP or practice nurse can give you advice on quitting and information on joining a stop-smoking clinic or stop-smoking group, using nicotine-replacement products and taking medication to help you stop smoking.

For advice on how to quit smoking, visit the NHS ‘Smokefree’ website here.