How Smoking Cessation Can Decrease The Risk of Heart Attack

A typical smoker loses 25 years of his lifespan. A weak heart is one of the prime reasons for mortality due to smoking. Quitting smoking can not only add life to smokers but to nonsmokers too.

Smoking is a worldwide phenomenon. Even as one reads this information, millions of people might be smoking. The health hazards related to smoking are staggering. It is believed to affect every part and organ of the body in some way or the other. In spite of all the warnings and cautionary notices, smoking remains one of the unhealthiest addictions globally.

The map here shows a picture of the number of people who smoke worldwide.

Although it must be easier said than done, Smoking Cessation can save millions of lives. According to World Health Organization here are some stats about the effects of smoking-
Every year more than 5 million people die from diseases related to smoking.
By 2015, this figure would rise above 6 million.
Somewhere on the planet, a smoker dies every 6 seconds.
In the US, 18.3% of deaths are related to smoking.

Smoking is usually associated with respiratory disorders. However, it is also one of the top causes of heart attack. Not only for smokers but it also affects the people in the vicinity. With each new cigarette, the risk of heart attack increases.

Nicotine found in smoke greatly increases the risk of heart attacks. Once a person quits smoking, the nicotine level slowly goes down.

How Smoking Cessation can decrease the risk of a heart attack?

Decreases blood clotting

The lining of blood vessels is damaged when a person smokes. This leads to blood clots. Also, the platelets might stick together increasing the risk of blood clotting. When a person stops smoking, the body starts cleansing the systems and as a result, starts decreasing blood clotting.

Normalizes arteries and heartbeat rate

Smoking is not proven to provoke high blood pressure. A person suffering from high blood pressure has his arteries narrowed. The same happens when a person smokes, which increases the heartbeat rate. It is known to temporarily increase blood pressure with each smoke that goes inside the body. Quitting to smoke can help to release pressure on the arteries.

Coronary arteries and blood vessel cells start to function properly

The chemicals present in tobacco cause damage to the blood cells. Also, the functioning of the heart and blood vessels may be disrupted by smoking. It could also lead to multiple problems such as coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Cessation leads to minimizing the effects of smoking on the body thus helping the arteries and blood vessels to return to normal functioning.

Increases the oxygen content

Oxygen is of utmost importance for the functioning of every cell in the body. The lungs separate oxygen from other gases that we breathe and send the oxygen to the heart. It is then transmitted to various parts of the body and this process continues throughout life. When a person smokes, this chain is broken which leaves the heart and other organs gasping for oxygen. Not smoking helps the chain regain its functionality.

A typical smoker loses 25 years of his lifespan

A weak heart is one of the prime reasons for mortality due to smoking. That sums up how bad smoking is for us. Although people who quit smoking will not get their years back, they might be able to save on the years they are going to lose in the future due to smoking.

Various treatments are available to prevent both heart attacks and smoking cessation. For heart-related problems, Plavix is an effective drug. It is to be taken only under the prescription of a licensed physician.

Also Read: Quit Smoking: Regain the Healthy Life