1. Smoking and The Heart
PBRC
Publication # 64 December 2009
Introduction
The Heart is one of the three times greater heart disease, multiple
most vital organs in the chance of developing cancers, heart attacks,
human body. It regulates heart disease or having a stroke, and vascular
all blood flow in the body. heart attack than non- diseases.
Without it, we would not smokers.
Smoking creates free rad-
get adequate oxygen and
Even secondhand smoke is icals in the body that cause
blood to the
dangerous. Studies show oxidative damage in the
tissues.
that people who are bloodstream and in the
There are consistently exposed to organs. The oxidative
multiple fac- secondhand smoke tend to damage can cause
Inside this issue:
tors that can have have an increased emphysema and lung
effect the risk for cardiovascular cancer.
performance diseases. THE FACTS ABOUT WHAT 2
Smoking causes coronary SMOKING DOES TO
of the heart. One of the
According to the Surgeon heart disease, the leading YOUR HEART
actions that can hinder
General, smoking harms cause of death in the Unit-
heart health and
almost every organ in the ed States*. Cigarette THE BENEFITS OF 3
performance is smoking. QUITTING SMOKING
body, and reduces the smokers are 2–4 times
The Surgeon General has overall health of smokers. more likely to develop cor-
named smoking the onary heart disease than
Smoking contributes to
“leading preventable nonsmokers.
many diseases and
cause of disease and
disorders. Smoking
deaths in the United
increases the risk for ath- * CDC
States.” In addition, if you
erosclerosis, coronary
smoke, you have a two to
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Not Smoke
1. Smoking in the United States. cholesterol (HDL), which
can lead help to clear out bad
3. Secondhand smoking is
to lung cholesterol (LDL) in the
harmful. Of the more
and other bloodstream.
than 4,000 chemicals
cancers.
that have been 5. Smoking harms nearly
The more
identified in every organ of the
you smoke, the greater
secondhand tobacco body and diminishes a
the risk of disease.
smoke, at least 250 person’s overall
2. Smoking contributes to are known to be harm- health.
the development of ful, and 50 of these
Coronary Heart are known to cause
Disease and Stroke, cancer. Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the
Surgeon General. U.S. DHHS, PHS,
the first and third CDC, NCCDPHP, Office on Smok-
4. Cigarettes lower the
leading cause of death ing and Health, 2000.
levels of good

2. Smoking and The Heart
The Facts About What Smoking Does To Your Heart
According to research, Smoking can promote promoting plaque
if you smoke, have high the development of buildup in the arteries.
cholesterol, and high atherosclerosis, or This will eventually
blood pressure, your hardening of arteries. lead to atherosclerosis.
risk of having a heart Over time, this causes Smokers have a great-
attack is eight times coronary heart disease,
er risk of being diag-
more than that of a stroke, and artery
nosed with peripheral
nonsmoker. disease.
vascular disease, which
The toxins produced by Carbon monoxide, a causes the blood ves-
cigarettes are carried product of tobacco sels in both the legs or
throughout the body. smoke, tends to feet to become
increase LDL cholesterol blocked.
Tobacco has a major
and white blood cells Smokers have an
role in the development
Carbon levels and increase
of preventable cardio- increased risk for var-
monoxide, a other risks for heart
vascular disease. ious types of cancer,
product of disease, while also
such as colorectal and
tobacco smoke Smoking pipes or reducing the hearts
(as well as ovarian cancer.
cigars increases the risk ability to carry oxygen
chemical plant of death from coronary to the tissues and Many smokers feel that
smoke and car
heart disease and organs. smoking relaxes them.
exhaust), tends
to boost LDL stroke, but to a lesser The feeling of relaxa-
A single cigarette can
cholesterol extent than that of cig- tion may be due to
impair circulation for
levels, as well arette smokers. deep breathing from
up to forty-five minutes
as levels of inhaling. However, nic-
white blood Cigarette smoking is an by constricting small
otine is a stimulant
cells and other important risk factor blood vessels.
which increases heart
risks for heart that leads to coronary Smoking can cause rate, respiration and
disease; not to heart disease. metabolism.
mention, it also abdominal aortic
reduces the Cigarette smoking has aneurysms, which are Nicotine stimulates the
hearts ability to been connected to all bulges in the wall of release of many chemi-
carry oxygen to types of sudden the aorta near the cal messengers in the
the tissues and cardiac death in both stomach. It is the brain including acetyl-
other organs. men and women. thirteenth leading choline, norepinephrine,
cause of death in he epinephrine, vasopressin,
Switching to low tar
United States*. arginine, dopamine, au-
nicotine cigarettes ra-
tocrine agents, and beta-
ther than normal ciga- Smokers are ten times
endorphin, which are
rettes, does not reduce more likely than non- responsible for nico-
the risk of coronary smokers to develop tine's effects.
heart disease. peripheral vascular
disease.
The nicotine in ciga- *O'Connor, RE. eMedicine, 2009
rettes promotes insulin Cigarette smokers have
resistance, a pre- raised fibrinogen levels
diabetic condition and platelet counts.
identified by high This causes the blood to
blood sugar and insulin. be more sticky,
Page 2

3. Publication # 64
The Benefits of Quitting Smoking
decreases the workload on lung cancer.
the heart, and eventually
There is a decrease in
will decrease the risk of
blood pressure and heart
having a heart attack.
rate after stopping
The cessation of smoking smoking. This improves
greatly reduces the risk of heart health and
death or a second heart productivity.
attack in adults who have A study on men smokers
coronary heart disease. shows an improvement in
According to American exercise tolerance and
Nicotine is an extremely
Heart Association, increased pressure in the
addictive chemical which
individuals will have extremities in the group that After one year of being
makes it very difficult to stop
smoking. Studies show that heightened sense of smell stopped smoking compared “smoke free”, the risk of
to the group that continued to coronary artery disease
nicotine activates the circuits and taste, and an improved
smoke. will have decreased by
in the brain that regulate digestive system after
pleasurable feelings. This is stopping smoking. There are other benefits from half!
done by a chemical called stopping smoking. These are:
dopamine, which is increased Stopping smoking will cause cleaner environment,
by nicotine. When smokers improved well being, lung improved personal hygiene,
inhale, the nicotine reaches function and immune decreased sinus problems,
the brain faster than drugs system. less heartburn or acid
that enter the body indigestion, better circulation,
Within two to three years
intravenously. and increased energy!
after stopping smoking, the
Stopping smoking is not risk of having a heart After you stop smoking *: After 15 years
of abstinence,
easy, but there are many attack will be the same as 1 Year After Quitting the risk is
aides such as gums, patch- a person who has never Your added risk of coronary similar to
es, pills and shots that re- smoked. heart disease is half that of a that for
duce the desire for ciga- smoker’s. people
There is a decrease in the
rettes. who've never
risk for stroke after 5 Years After Quitting smoked.
There are many benefits to smoking cessation. After 5 Your stroke risk is reduced to
quitting smoking. Some of to15 years, former smokers that of a nonsmoker’s 5-15
these include a reduced have the same risk of hav- years after quitting.
chance of being diagnosed ing a stroke as a nonsmoker 10 Years After Quitting AHA
with diabetes, cancer, or would. Your lung cancer death rate is
heart disease. about half that of a smoker’s.
According to research, Your risk of cancers of the
Nicotine, one of thousands of after five years of not mouth, throat, esophagus,
chemicals found in cigarettes, smoking, patients have a bladder, kidney, and
causes the blood vessels to 21 percent reduction in the pancreas decreases.
constrict. This narrowing of risk for lung cancer, when
the vessels increases blood 15 Years After Quitting
compared with current Your risk of coronary heart
pressure. smokers. Those who have disease is back to that of a
Within twenty-four hours of not smoked for 20 to 30 nonsmoker’s.
stopping smoking, blood years or more, have an 87
pressure and pulse rate will percent reduction in the risk
drop to normal. This of being diagnosed with * CDC
Page 3

4. PBRC
About Pennington
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a world-renowned Pennington Biomedical Research
nutrition research center. Center
6400 Perkins Road
Mission: Baton Rouge, LA 70808
To promote healthier lives through research and education in nutri- (225) 763-2500
tion and preventive medicine. www.pbrc.edu
The Pennington Center has several research areas, including:
Clinical Obesity Research
Experimental Obesity
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Nutrition and Chronic Diseases
Nutrition and the Brain
Dementia, Alzheimer’s and healthy aging
Diet, exercise, weight loss and weight loss maintenance
The research fostered in these areas can have a profound impact on Pennington Nutrition Series No 64, 2009
healthy living and on the prevention of common chronic diseases, Authors
such as heart .disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporo-
sis.
Heli J. Roy, PhD, RD
The Division of Education provides education and information to Beth Kalicki
the scientific community and the public about research findings,
training programs and research areas, and coordinates educational
events for the public on various health issues. Division of Education
We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
exciting research studies being conducted at the Pennington Center 12/09
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