How does smoking affect heart health?

The article is professionally consulted by Cardiologist - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Tobacco is a substance that contains many toxins for the human body such as nicotine, tar, formaldehyde, cyanide... Smokers have a high risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, dental disease and even disease. cancer. Therefore, smoking causes cardiovascular disease is a matter of top concern.

Smoking has long had negative effects on human health because tobacco and tobacco smoke contain harmful substances, especially carcinogens. It is noteworthy that tobacco contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance, making smokers physically and psychologically dependent. Another toxin also found in cigarettes is tar, which makes the body more vulnerable.
The harmful effects of smoking are heart, liver and lung diseases. Smoking causes heart attack, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer diseases such as lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, bladder cancer... The influence of tobacco and disease Heart disease as well as other diseases mentioned above depends on the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years of smoking of the patient.
It is impossible not to mention secondhand smoke or secondhand smoke because this factor has been scientifically proven to be one of the causes of adverse health effects for people of all ages. According to the Health Organization According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 890,000 people who do not directly smoke but are only exposed to tobacco smoke still die from tobacco, out of 7 million people die from this poison.
Smoking also causes miscarriage in pregnant women who smoke, is one of the causes leading to premature birth, low birth weight and even death in the fetus.

2.1. Mechanism of smoking causes cardiovascular disease Mechanistically, smokers will increase the concentration of oxidizing products such as oxidized LDL cholesterol and reduce the concentration of HDL cholesterol - a factor that plays a role in protecting the heart. . These factors combined with the effects of CO and nicotine toxicity cause endovascular damage. Because of the above damage processes, the body of smokers will increase vascular reactions, reduce the supply of oxygen-carrying blood, leading to myocardial ischemia and coronary artery spasm. In addition, smoking also contributes to increased fibrinogen and increased platelet adhesion.
2.2. Tobacco and heart disease 2.2.1. High blood pressure The cause of high blood pressure in smokers is nicotine. Nicotine is addictive, stimulates the production of adrenaline, so smoking makes the heart beat faster, the heart rate becomes faster, causing high blood pressure.
Blood pressure will return to normal in between smoking sessions but never returns to normal without stopping smoking. If you smoke too many times a day, your average blood pressure will increase. In addition, smoking also increases blood pressure fluctuating is a risk factor more than cardiovascular disease.
Smoking reduces effectiveness while being treated for high blood pressure. This condition is caused by tobacco substances that cause the liver to produce enzymes that enter the blood, limiting the effect of antihypertensive drugs.

2.2.2. Coronary Heart Disease Smoking is considered a risk factor for coronary heart disease. In addition, passive smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke in the environment increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 20%-30%.
The cause of this disease is atherosclerosis due to the destruction of the endothelial layer because the toxins in tobacco cause high blood pressure and high blood fat levels. When smoking is combined with hypertension, atherosclerosis and increased blood fat levels, it will cause extremely bad health effects, many times higher than when these conditions occur individually. .
Smoking causes angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. These patients often have early angina and myocardial infarction and have a greater risk of recurrence within one year than non-smokers. Coronary vasospasm can occur only after a person smokes a cigarette. Tobacco smoke increases the production of catecholamines causing arrhythmias, typically ventricular extrasystoles and ventricular fibrillation, and then cardiac arrest.
2.2.3. Aortic aneurysms: Atherosclerotic plaques cause the arteries to primarily dilate and bulge, possibly in the vessel wall. These bulges can then rupture causing damage. Smokers are eight times more likely to have aortic aneurysms and have a higher mortality rate for aortic aneurysms than non-smokers.
2.2.4. Cardiomyopathy Cigarette smoke damages small arteries, and especially the CO in tobacco causes direct damage to the heart muscle. Furthermore, smoking increases susceptibility to viruses that lead to myocarditis.
2.2.5. Peripheral Vascular Diseases Peripheral blood diseases are 16 times higher in smokers than in never-smokers. Symptoms of these diseases are usually pain and limitation of movement. Patients need to stop smoking during treatment for the best treatment effect.
Because the harmful effects of tobacco are extremely serious, especially smoking causes cardiovascular disease and tobacco smoke also adversely affects the organs in the human body, it is necessary to eliminate the factors that bring them to life. When we come to the use of tobacco, if we are in the process of treatment, we absolutely do not smoke and have a suitable diet and exercise.

Cardiovascular Center is one of the leading centers of Vinmec International General Hospital, the team of experts of the Cardiology Center includes experienced professors, doctors, specialists 2, and masters. Experience, great reputation in the field of medical treatment, surgery, interventional cardiac catheterization and application of advanced techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In particular, the Center has modern equipment, on par with the most prestigious hospitals in the world. In addition, the center has a comprehensive cooperation program with Cardiology Institute - Bach Mai Hospital, Cardiology Department of Hanoi Medical University, Paris Decartes University - Georges Pompidou Hospital (France), University of Pennsylvania (USA) period). Specialist doctors examine, assign to perform general tests, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, blood pressure Holter to help check and screen timely cardiovascular problems.