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.

Call it Quits!

How many of your friends or family members smoke? Do you smoke?

For non-smokers, isn't it just unfair that we try so hard to maintain our health only to inhale second-hand smoke?

Cigarette smoking can really be dangerous. It kills. It is the leading cause of lung cancer.

There are approximately 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, many of them toxic. The ingredients in cigarettes affect everything from the internal functioning of organs to the efficiency of the body's immune system. The effects of cigarette smoking are destructive and widespread.

Toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke travel throughout the body, causing damage in several different ways.
Nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds after smoke is inhaled. It has been found in every part of the body and in breast milk.
Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, preventing affected cells from carrying a full load of oxygen.
Cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) in tobacco smoke damage important genes that control the growth of cells, causing them to grow abnormally or to reproduce too rapidly.
The carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene binds to cells in the airways and major organs of smokers.
Smoking affects the function of the immune system and may increase the risk for respiratory and other infections.
There are several likely ways that cigarette smoke does its damage.
One is oxidative stress that mutates DNA, promotes atherosclerosis, and leads to chronic lung injury. Oxidative stress is thought to be the general mechanism behind the aging process, contributing to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and COPD.
The body produces antioxidants to help repair damaged cells. Smokers have lower levels of antioxidants in their blood than do nonsmokers.
Smoking is associated with higher levels of chronic inflammation, another damaging process that may result in oxidative stress.


People! Don't you want to prolong your life? Live to a hundred, see your grandchildren grow up? Reap the fruits of your labor?
Then stay healthy.