How cigarette smoking is strong risk factor in ischemic heart diseases?

Cigarette smoking is very injurious to health, especially health of lungs and heart organs, the two vital organs of body. Tobacco contains many toxic chemicals having very adverse effects on human organism including carcinogenesis. Nicotine, tar, phenol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; nitrosamines are some of the prominent constituents of tobacco smoke that are highly carcinogenic .i.e. these have potential to cause numerous health problems including cancer. Cigarette smoking is potential risk factor for production of atherosclerosis and eventually leading to myocardial infarction. Cigarette smoking acts synergistic-ally with other three leading risk factors for myocardial infarction. These may include

Hypercholesterolamemia,

Hypertension

Diabetes

There is severe, extensive, accelerated and progressive atherosclerosis in chain smokers. The aortic atherosclerosis is more severe and greater in smokers than non smokers. The extent and severity of atherosclerosis is more severe and extensive in smokers than non smokers. The two main coronary arteries, right and left, transport oxygen, blood and nutrients to heart muscles. The tobacco smoke badly damages them.

Cigarette smoking is associated with higher potential risk of developing ischemic heart disease, atherosclerotic IHD and sudden cardiac death. I would like to cite the example of a professor friend of mine who was addicted to heavy smoking and in spite of my warnings he did not stop smoking but rather take these very lightly and jokingly. He had not any minor sign of atherosclerosis till his death... He had to pay heavy price for smoking, when one day all of a sudden; he died of massive cardiac arrest. During heart attack he was made to rush to a nearby hospital in emergency ward. When his angiogram was taken this showed 95% of his coronaries totally blocked

The people, who smoke, they expose them to the dangers of developing ischemic heart and infarctions. The two deadly and fatal diseases of heart having very poor prognosis after heart attack even if they survive. Men who smoke are more likely to die of IHD than who do not smoke at all.

The increased risk and vulnerability of smokers to IHD and severity of atherosclerosis is due to reduced level of HDL in the body.HDL is potential protective agent against formation of atherosclerosis. The second reason of increased risk and susceptibility in smokers to IHD and atherosclerosis is the accumulation of carbon monoxide in the blood stream of smokers. When carbon monoxide combines with oxygen chemically, it produces carboxy-haemoglobin. Carbon monoxide has 200 times more affinity for blood than oxygen. The whole process of smoking results in hypoxia in the arterial walls. Hypoxia favors rapid formation of atherosclerosis.

The impaired function of lungs due to hypoxia causes reduced oxygen supply to heart muscles. Besides IHD, atherosclerosis, the smokers have higher risk of developing atherosclerosis aortic aneurysm and Buerger’s disease.

Reading this article I presume you will say good bye to cigarette smoking.