|
 |
 |
 | Smoking
Even though smoking is one of the most serious risk factors for heart disease, it is something you can control. Immediately after quitting, you begin to reduce your risk. Here are some of the things that smoking does to increase your risk of heart disease:
Raises blood pressure:
Nicotine, a stimulant, causes the heart to pump faster and raise blood pressure. It also causes the arteries to constrict, making blood flow more difficult.
Depletes oxygen:
This causes the heart to work harder to supply the rest of the body with needed oxygen.
Thickens the blood:
Smoking causes platelets (blood cells needed for clotting) to become abnormally sticky and increases the risk of dangerous blood clots.
Damages arteries:
Smoking contributes to a build-up of fatty substances on arterial walls, which can lead to coronary artery disease.
(This information was adapted from the American Heart Association.)
 Back to top
| |
