Effects of Smoking on Heart and Lung DiseaseOver the years, people have discussed and studied the various negative side affects of smoking. There are several non-health related repercussions surrounding this habit. In addition, smoking poses a potent hazard to bodily health. Smoking has not only been attributed as the cause of several health problems, but studies show that smoking aggravates existing conditions as well. Two diseases adversely affected by smoking are heart and lung disease. Heart
disease, as the medical web site WebMD explains, occurs when there is a blockage
in “the blood vessels that
supply blood to the heart.”1
The heart is dependant on these vessels to provide it with oxygen and
other necessary nutrients. If these
vessels become blocked in any way, problems result.
Depending on the extent of the blockage, a person can suffer effects
ranging from chest pain (angina) to heart attack (myocardial infarction).1 The
blockage in heart disease is the result of a gradual buildup of deposits of fat
and cholesterol in the arteries. This
is known as atherosclerosis. This buildup can be just the beginning of a serious
blockage. Over time, more matter
can build up around the initial deposits until eventually the artery walls
thicken, become irregular and suffer other changes that lead to partial or
complete blockage. In
summary, then, heart disease is the blockage of blood vessels due to
atherosclerosis, which can then lead to angina and heart attacks. 1 The
American Heart Association, in their online page entitled “Cigarette Smoking
and Cardiovascular Diseases,”
ranks cigarette and tobacco smoke as being among “the six
major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease”
that an individual can “modify, treat or control.”
3 The Surgeon General corroborates this view.
3 They further stress the hazard of smoking as it pertains
to heart disease by saying that statistically smoking is the one factor that
increases the risk of heart disease in those under 50 years of age than in those
over 50 years old. 3
Pat Macnamara and Garritt Cullerton, in their article “Harmful
Effects of Smoking,” bring out that “cigarette
smoking accounts for 30 percent of all heart disease deaths.” 7 Smoking exacerbates heart disease in several ways. Nicotine, a toxin in smoke, leads to a boost in heart rate and thereby “takes a direct toll on the heart by forcing it to work harder.” 6 Additionally, nicotine constricts blood flow to the heart, raising blood pressure and heart rate.2,6,7 The toxin, nicotine, also decreases oxygen supply to the heart, thereby causing the heart to demand more oxygen. 2,7 This demand can, in turn, result in a coronary spasm, which may lead to chest pain and a heart attack. OnHealth, in conjunction with WebMD, enumerates some other ways that smoking affects heart disease. The site brings out that smoke contains toxins that have a damaging effect on blood vessels. 6 Nicotine seems to play a significant role in the development of coronary artery disease. 2 Macnamara and Cullerton make a correlation between smoking and arterial ruptures when they state the following: “smoking causes a stiffness in the walls of the arteries, which is harmful to the artery and increases the risk for an artery to rupture.” 7 They further point out that blood clots occur more often in smokers than in those who do not smokers. 7 Besides
the negative side effects of the toxins in the smoke, this habit’s effects
work in conjunction with other risk factors, compounding the affects.
An example of the synergistic effect can be observed in the affect
smoking has on cholesterol. Macnamara and Cullerton explain how burning smoke contains
carbon monoxide, which causes more cholesterol that further clogs arteries. 7
Smoking also increases the risk of developing lung disease in those
who are already at risk because of family history.
Dr. Michele Hamilton states, in an excerpt from her article “For Women,
Increased Awareness is the Key to Prevention,” that smoking the risk of a
heart attack threefold. 4 Just as smoking affects existing heart disease, it can also affect lung disease. WebMD defines lung disease as “any disease or disorder that causes or indicates impaired lung function.” 5 This definition covers a wide array of specific diseases. The web site goes on to list the three major categories of lung diseases: obstructive lung disease, restrictive lung and finally lung infections. Within these categories abounds a plethora of individual diseases. Before
understanding the ways that smoking affects lung disease, it is necessary to
explain a bit about how lungs function. Macnamara
and Cullerton explain the basic construction of the lungs, stating that they are
made up of many sacs called alveoli. It
is the alveoli that receive oxygen from the bronchial airways and thus are key
in oxygen absorption. In a healthy
lung, the alveoli expand and contract. On the inner surface of the alveoli,
oxygen is absorbed and enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is released. 7 Smoking
damages the alveoli, thus rendering them incapable of performing their task of
receiving oxygen. Besides damaging
the alveoli, smoking can also result in damage to the bronchial airways.
Further smoking makes the smoker more susceptible bacterial infection.
Chronic mucus secretion and chronic air flow blocks are also resulted
from smoking. A smoker gets more nose and throat inflammations, respiratory
infections, and chronic bronchitis than a non-smoker. 7 Thus,
the effect of smoking on lung disease is no less destructive than on heart
disease. This is evident by the
statement made by Macnamara and Cullerton: “smoking is involved in 85 percent
of all lung cancer deaths.”
7 They further
point out how smoking accounts for about 80 to 90 percent of all chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. 7 The American Heart Association concurs
with Macnamara and Cullerton by noting that smoking increases the risk of
developing “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.” 3 Heart and Lung disease often entail factors that are beyond the control of an individual. It is important to recognize, though, that smoking is not one of these factors. As Dr. Hamilton brought out “it's never too late to quit.” 4 She goes on to comment that someone who quits today may find that the risk for a heart attack is almost normalized over the next five to ten years.4 There are many methods available to help individuals break the smoking habit. For those who have heart or lung disease or are at risk for these diseases, the cessation of the smoking habit is not just a matter of quitting; it could, in many cases, mean the difference between life and death. --Article by Dr. Raymond Singer, MD and Valerie Schwader
Check out this link for more information about Smoking and its Effects Works Cited 1 The WorkCare Group, Inc. and Health Ink &
Vitality Communications. 2000. Web MD – Heart disease: Q and A. <http://my.webmd.com/content/article/3176.1028>
Accessed 2000 Oct 19. 2 American
Institute for Preventive Medicine. 1995. Coronary Heart Disease
- American Institute of Preventive Medicine - HealthWorld Online. Excerpted
from “Healthy Self: The Guide to Self-Care and Wise Consumerism.” <http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/book.asp?PageType=Book&ID=955> Accessed 2000 Oct 19. 3 American Heart Association. 2000.
Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular Diseases. <http://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/cigcvd.html>
Accessed 2000 Oct 19. 4 Hamilton, Michele. 1999 Feb 2. Heart
Disease Unreported Killer of Women, Smoking A Factor [02/02/99]. “For
Women, Increased Awareness is the Key to Prevention.” <http://ash.org/feb99/02-02-99-6.html>
Accessed 2000 Oct 18. 5 WebMD. 1999. WebMD - Lung disease. <http://my.webmd.com/content/asset/adam_disease_lung_disease>
Accessed 2000 Oct 19. 6 On Health. 2000 Sept. OnHealth: Heart
Disease. <http://onhealth.webmd.com/conditions/resource/conditions/item%2C358.asp>
Accessed 2000 Oct 20. 7 Macnamara, Pat and Garritt Cullerton. 1998
June 22. Harmful Effects of Smoking. <http://www.stclement.pvt.k12.il.us/StudentWeb/science98/GarrittPatM/disease.html>
Accessed 2000 Oct 21. Additional Material:
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