Cause 3. Smoking: A Burning Issue in Heart Disease
Navigating further into the causes of heart disease, we stumble upon another menace – smoking. Recognized as a leading risk factor for heart disease, smoking’s impact is far-reaching, extending well beyond the lungs.
Cigarettes and other tobacco products are a cocktail of toxic chemicals, including nicotine and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is a potent vasoconstrictor – it narrows the blood vessels, thereby increasing the heart’s workload. This heightened workload leads to increased heart rate and blood pressure, thereby boosting heart disease risk.
Additionally, carbon monoxide, another prevalent chemical in tobacco smoke, displaces oxygen in the blood. This displacement reduces the oxygen available for your heart and other vital organs, pushing the heart to work harder to meet the body’s oxygen needs, thereby elevating the risk for heart disease.
Moreover, smoking damages the lining of the arteries, creating a foundation for atherosclerotic plaques to form. This buildup can lead to coronary heart disease, where the heart’s major blood vessels get damaged. Therefore, smoking plays a multi-faceted role in the promotion of heart disease. (3)
