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Why do you need to quit smoking?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Every year, smoking kills 400,000 people in the United States alone. This bad habit is the main risk factor for heart disease.
Smoking is bad for your heart
Smoking increases the risk of a heart attack by two to six times, and with each cigarette smoked, the danger gets closer to a person. If a person continues to smoke even after a heart attack, then his risk of sudden death from a heart attack increases significantly.
Smoking increases blood pressure
Every time a person smokes, their blood pressure increases for a short time. This is not a chronic condition, but if a person suffers from high blood pressure, cigarettes will only make the condition worse.
Smoking increases the level of fats and bad cholesterol in the blood
The resins in cigarettes destroy the inner walls of blood vessels, accelerating the accumulation of plaques in the coronary arteries, which are responsible for supplying the heart with blood. Smoking increases the risk of myocardial infarction due to blockage of arteries with fats. According to experts, the average age of death from a heart attack among non-smokers is 67 years, and the average age of smokers who die from an attack is 47 years.
Arrhythmia
Smoking negatively affects the part of the nervous system that controls heart rate. This can affect the electrical activity of the heart and cause heart disease, such as arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is a dangerous condition that can lead to a heart attack.
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Smoking is the cause of many diseases
Smoking causes many diseases, such as: lung cancer, oral cancer, vocal cord cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney and urinary tract cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer, chronic lung diseases, including bronchitis, emphysema and COPD. In addition, pregnant women who poisoned themselves and their baby with toxic smoke are at risk of complications, miscarriage, stillbirth. The child also has an increased risk of sudden death.
It's never too late to quit smoking
Even if you have smoked for a long time, by giving up this harmful habit you can reduce your risks to the level of a non-smoker.