Smoking And Bad Cholesterol

Congestive Heart Failure Treatment Mesa, AZBack in the “good old days,” everything seemed so simple. You could smoke in restaurants, on airplanes, and pretty much everywhere else you might want to. It seems crazy to us now, but that’s how it was. Thankfully, it’s pretty common knowledge that smoking damages our bodies in many ways. And we’re still learning and educating people, spreading the word about how smoking is linked to dangerous disease. And when it comes to our hearts, cigarettes are high on the list of enemies.

Did you know that every time you inhale cigarette smoke, your heart rate and blood pressure go up? This puts extra stress on your heart and forces it to work even harder. Smoking doesn’t just impact those who smoke: it impacts those around us, too. Keep reading to learn more about smoking and why giving it up is the best thing you can do.

One of the biggest ways smoking impacts our health is over the long term. Over time smoking:

  • Thickens the blood
  • Fills the lungs with tar
  • Increases inflammation
  • Weakens our bones
  • Clogs the arteries
  • Increases clotting of the blood
  • Weakens our immune system

Additionally, did you know that one third of deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease actually stem from smoking? Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease, but if you have other risk factors, it can be incredibly dangerous to add smoking to your life. Smoking is linked to other damaging behaviors. If you smoke, you may be less likely to exercise, or have a lower tolerance for physical activity when you do exercise. Your risk of developing serious disease increases.

Smokers have a higher risk of developing many chronic disorders, including heart attacks, atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease, and strokes. There is good news though: quitting smoking can lower your risk of these diseases. Your risk of heart attack drops by up to 30 percent after a year of quitting. That’s amazing!

If you’re ready to learn more about smoking and your cholesterol, call us today at (480) 641-5400 to schedule a consultation in Mesa, Arizona. We want to help you stay healthy, so start making better choices today!