The Link Between Smoking and Coronary Artery Disease

Smoking is one of the leading causes of coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary artery disease is a condition in which plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This buildup can cause blockages, reducing blood flow to the heart and potentially leading to a heart attack.

Smoking increases your risk for CAD in several ways. First, smoking damages your arteries, causing them to become narrower and less elastic. This makes it harder for blood to flow through them and increases your risk for a blockage. Second, smoking increases levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) while decreasing levels of good cholesterol (HDL). This further contributes to plaque buildup within your arteries and raises your risk for CAD. Finally, smoking can trigger inflammation throughout the body, including within arterial walls; this inflammation further contributes to increased plaque buildup in these vessels.

The good news is that quitting smoking can reduce your risk for CAD significantly; studies have shown that quitting even after many years of smoking can reduce an individual’s risk by as much as 30%. Quitting also helps reduce other health risks associated with smoking such as stroke and cancer. If you are a smoker looking to improve your cardiovascular health, quitting is one of the best steps you can take towards reducing these risks.

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Tags:

Smoking, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Plaque, Blockages, Heart Attack, Arteries, Cholesterol (LDL/HDL), Inflammation, Risk Reduction (30%), Quitting Smoking,

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