Smoking and Heart Disease,Know the underlying facts

How are smoking and Cardiovascular Disease related?Know the facts

Smoking kills more than 1.35 million people in India each year. Most new smokers are children and teens. Smokers have a higher risk for lung disease. This includes lung cancer and emphysema. They also have an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Although we are aware of the dangers of smoking, still we are silent about it. According to the World Health Organization, India is home to the maximum Tobacco users in the world. Tobacco is a known cause of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, and is a cause of approximately 1.35 million deaths every year.Here is what India’s noted Oncologist has to say about relationship between Smoking and Heart Disease.

Facts about smoking and heart disease

Here are some important facts that correlate the relationship between Smoking and Heart Disease. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), the global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators, here are some alarming statistics related to smoking.

Facts associated with Smoking

Here are some alarming facts related to smoking (GATS)

1. 19.0% of men, 2.0% of women and 10.7% (99.5 million) of all adults currently smoke tobacco.
2. 29.6% of men, 12.8% of women and 21.4% (199.4 million) of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco.
3. 42.4% of men, 14.2% of women and 28.6% (266.8 million) of all adults currently use tobacco (smoked and/or smokeless tobacco).
4. 38.7%ofadultswereexposedtosecondhandsmokeathome.
5. 30.2% of adults who work indoors are exposed to second-handsmoke at their workplace.
6. 7.4% of adults were exposed to second hand smoke at restaurants.
7. 19.2% of adults noticed smoking tobacco advertisement and 18.3% of adults noticed smokeless tobacco advertisement.
8. 68.0% of adults noticed anti-smoking tobacco information on television or radio and 59.3% of adults noticed anti-smokeless tobacco information on television or radio.
9. 92.4% of the adults believe that smoking causes serious illness and 95.6% of adults believed that use of smokeless tobacco causes serious illness.

Source: GATS Survey Fact Sheet(India 2016-17)

Risks of secondhand smoke(Passive Smoking)

About 34,000 nonsmokers die from heart disease each year from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is smoke exhaled by smokers. It also includes smoke from the burning end of a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Exposure to smoke poses health hazards to pregnant women, infants, and young children. Children and infants exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to have ear infections and asthma. They are also at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There is a significant economic Burden on the effects of Passive or secondhand smoking.

These symptoms may be from exposure to secondhand smoke:

• Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
• Coughing
• Excessive mucus in the airways
• Chest discomfort from lung irritation
• Chest pain
• Bronchitis

Side Effects of Smoking and how it affects your Heart

Causes an instant and long-term rise in blood pressure.

• Causes an instant and a long-term increase in heart rate.
• Reduces blood flow from the heart.
• Reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the body’s tissues.
• Increases risk for blood clots.
• Damages blood vessels.
• Doubles the risk of stroke (reduced blood flow to the brain).
• Smoking has also been linked with depression and stress.

Smoking and heart disease

There is no doubt that Smoking, along with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes, tops the list of a primary risk factors for heart disease. Smoking is the single most preventable cause of early death in India. With Tobacco being the country’s most tax generating revenue source, it is going to be challenging.

Also read: Smoking and Lung Cancer are related