Smoking and Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a very common word you'll hear in the ward.

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty substances such as cholesterol, cellular waste, calcium and other substances are deposited along the lining of artery walls in a person's body. These sticky, yellowish deposits, known as plaque, build up over time, hindering blood flow.

Also known as hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis often starts early in life and progresses slowly as a person ages. Atherosclerosis usually affects medium and large arteries in the body. Many scientists believe that damage to the innermost layer of the artery, known as the endothelium is where atherosclerosis begins.


Cholesterol
The toxins in tobacco smoke lower a person's high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL or "good" cholesterol) while raising levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or "bad" cholesterol).

Nicotine and Carbon Monoxide
The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the endothelium, which sets the stage for the build-up of plaque.

High Blood Pressure
While cigarette smoking won't cause high blood pressure, if a smoker has hypertension, smoking can increase the risk of malignant hypertension, a dangerous form of high blood pressure. Smoking is hard on the heart.

see the video on atherosclerosis.