Youve heard it again and again: Smoking isnt good for you. You probably know about the link between smoking and cancer, but did you know that cigarette smoking can also raise your cardiovascular disease risk?
The facts are straightforward: Middle-aged men and women who smoke have a three times higher risk of dying from heart disease than non-smokers. Smoking can lead to coronary heart disease and abdominal aortic aneurysms (widening and weakening of the bodys main artery), and may double the risk of stroke. Smoking also raises the risk of peripheral vascular disease, which is the narrowing of blood vessels that carry blood to the arms and legs, as well as to the stomach and kidneys.
Why Stopping Smoking Is Good for Your Heart
Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for heart disease in young men and women, says Jennifer H. Mieres, MD, a cardiologist at New York University in New York City, a national spokesperson for the American Heart Associations Go Red For Women Movement, and co-author of Heart Smart for Black Women and Latinas (St. Martins Press). Cigarette smoking combined with a family history of heart disease also seems to greatly increase the risk.
Dr. Mieres reminds us that second-hand smoke also plays a big role in increasing cardiovascular disease risk. About 22,700 to 69,600 premature deaths from heart and blood vessel disease are caused by other peoples cigarette smoke each year, she notes.
How to Stop Smoking
Saying youre going to stop smoking and actually quitting are two different things. While the desire is there and you understand the health risks, you may need a lot of help in the process. Joan Mitchell, RN, a nurse practitioner at the Byron Family Medical Centre in London, Ontario, Canada, is a smoking cessation coach. She says that it may take several tries to stop smoking before you successfully become a long-term non-smoker, but it can be done.
You really want to quit thats the first thing we focus on, says Mitchell. Then you need to find the right approach. How successful you are depends on the type of help you get. If you are very physically dependent on nicotine, you need some type of medication to help you through, she points out.
Psychological Withdrawal From Smoking
The physical withdrawal from smoking is something thats well-documented, but theres also the psychological aspect. After years of smoking, as odd as it sounds, the cigarette has become your friend. This loss of a friend leads you to a grief process, says Mitchell. Smoking is also how many people identify themselves. This identity has to change from smoker to non-smoker, she says.
Counseling as Part of a Plan to Stop Smoking
There are many methods to help you stop smoking, but no matter which ones you choose, counseling is a good addition, says Mitchell. By having someone follow up on you and be available for check-ins and phone calls, you know theres someone out there who is rooting for you to kick the habit. A counselor can also help you with strategies, particularly if you live with someone who still smokes or you find yourself in situations beyond your control that involve other people smoking.
Using medication in a pill form, as gum, or in a patch can be very helpful in helping to stop smoking, says Mitchell, but a pill doesnt fix bad habits. It will help with the nicotine part, but not the habit part. The support offered by a counselor or coach is what helps the tools, such as medications, work.
You can stop smoking, says Mitchell. It wont be easy, but you can do it.
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