How does smoking increase the risk of heart disease? Smoking has been one of the risk factors that’s most well-established for the development of heart disease and the buildup of atherosclerotic or cholesterol plaques in the arteries of the heart.
The link between smoking and heart attack and stroke has been very strongly established in the medical literature. How does smoking lead to the buildup of cholesterol plaque in the arteries? It’s a pretty complicated mechanism, but some of the basics we know. When people smoke, it increases the likelihood that cholesterol in the blood will be taken up into the arteries of the heart. In addition, it increases the inflammation of the arteries of the heart.
If we take a campfire analogy of coronary atherosclerosis, we can consider the artery as the campfire and every time you smoke, it’s like taking a little squirt of lighter fluid and adding it to the campfire. Each time, you get a little burst of inflammation and that causes a little more damage. This is a very simplistic way of looking at things, but helps give us a visual of what might be going on in the arteries of the heart when someone smokes.
Not only has the link between smoking and heart disease been well-established, but the amount you smoke makes a real difference. With each additional cigarette per day, we’ve been able to show an increased rate of heart attack and stroke. The flip side of that coin, is as anyone reduces the amount they smoke, their risk of heart disease dramatically reduces. Stopping smoking is one of the single best ways for someone to reduce their risk of heart disease, stroke, or heart attack. So, smoking, can be said to directly lead to the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries.
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4.13 -> how does smoking increase the risk of
6.629 -> heart disease smoking has been one of
8.91 -> the risk factors that's most well
10.2 -> established for the development of heart
11.58 -> disease and the build-up of
12.9 -> atherosclerosis and the arteries the
15.48 -> heart the link between smoking and heart
17.82 -> attack and stroke has been very strongly
19.529 -> established in the medical literature
20.55 -> how does smoking lead to the build-up of
22.769 -> cholesterol plaque in the arteries it's
24.33 -> a pretty complicated mechanism but some
26.07 -> of the basics we know when people smoke
28.019 -> it increases the likelihood that
30.72 -> cholesterol in the blood will be taken
32.94 -> up into the arteries the heart in
34.29 -> addition it increases the inflammation
36.84 -> of the arteries of the heart if we take
39.629 -> a campfire analogy of coronary
41.64 -> atherosclerosis we can consider the
44.01 -> artery as the campfire and every time
46.23 -> you smoke it's like taking a little
47.55 -> squirt of lighter fluid and adding it to
49.23 -> the campfire each time you get a little
51.809 -> burst of inflammation and it causes a
53.94 -> little more damage this is a very
55.53 -> simplistic way of looking at things what
57.27 -> helps gives us a visual of what might be
58.8 -> going on in the arteries the heart when
60.149 -> someone smokes not only has the link
62.67 -> between smoking and heart disease been
64.35 -> well-established but the amount you
66.06 -> smoke makes a real difference with each
68.34 -> additional cigarette per day we've been
70.02 -> able to show an increased rate of heart
72 -> attack and stroke the flip side of that
73.65 -> coin is as anyone reduces the amount
76.14 -> they smoke their risk of heart disease
77.99 -> dramatically reduces stopping smoking is
80.61 -> one of the single best ways for someone
82.68 -> to reduce their risk of heart disease
83.909 -> stroke or heart attack so smoking can be
