There are many risk factors for heart disease. The two main high risk factors are a diet that is high in fatty food and smoking. Indulging in fatty food will result in the build up of fat in your blood stream. This will then manifests itself in two ways, as high blood pressure or high cholesterol level. Both will means that your heart is working harder to pump the blood, increasing the risk of heart attack. Smoking is a high risk factor for heart disease because the carcinogens in the cigarettes contribute to various heart problems. Together these two risk factors are the most serious because they are hard to kick habits.



Smoking and Coronary Heart Disease

There are still a few who chose to deny the connection between smoking and coronary heart disease. Often, this denial comes from those who profit from the sale of cigarettes. Today, smoking remains legal and is a personal choice although many countries have moved to ban smoking in public areas.

Most people who chose to ignore the danger of smoking are merely hiding their weakness for the habit. It is a serious concern especially as pop culture continues to portray smoking as glamorous. This will breed the next generation of smokers who will then find themselves firmly stuck by their addiction to nicotine. It is important to know that the ill effects of smoking on the human heart are not immediate. It is a slow but steady process. It is also because the effects are gradual that one should not take long living smokers as evidence that smoking is not harmful to human health.

The good news is that an individual who has been smoking for an extended number of years may be able to avoid a life-threatening problem if they quit smoking early enough. Studies have shown that the lungs can regain their efficiency when smoking is stopped. The reversal of clogged blood arteries on the other hand is not so straightforward. So it is still best to avoid smoking or to quit while there is still time.

Effects of Smoking on Heart Disease

Smoking causes a number of negative effects on the human body including respiratory problems and the stunting of growth. The constant inhalation of smoke over an extended period of time will also constrict the arteries. When this occurs, the risk of heart attack will increase.

The carcinogens present in cigarettes are part of the connection between smoking and heart disease. These chemicals get absorbed into the blood stream when one smokes or breathes in second hand cigarette smoke. These chemicals will contaminate the heart and other organs as they circulate around the body. When the nicotine from the cigarettes builds up in the blood stream, the blood becomes thick and is more prone to clotting. Nicotine will also build up in the valves leading to the heart, affect their functions, which can cause a heart attack.

Needless to say, anybody who is concerned about coronary heart disease should not pick up smoking or should stop smoking immediately. It would be the best health decisions a person can ever make.

Not smoking has many benefits besides reducing the risk of heart disease. Just count the saving if you have a pack a day habit. Assuming it costs $10 a pack, it is $300 a month saving or enough saving in a year to go for an overseas holiday if you stop smoking. Besides the immediate financial gain from not spending money on cigarettes (which can add up to a small fortune), smokers who quit will soon be pleasantly surprised to re-discover their taste buds.

Smoking affects the taste buds making food taste bland. The lungs have a certain capacity to repair themselves. So the ex-smokers can look forward to less breathless episodes and better quality of life. Most importantly, the ex-smokers should also know that they are relieving a heavy mental burden from those who love them.

There are a variety of ways to quit smoking. Consult your doctor for treatment options or seek help from smoking cessation help groups. You are sure to find a method that will work for you. It could be the thing that will save your life.