Health Care: Smoking and Atherosclerosis

Smoking and Atherosclerosis

เขียนโดย oneself ป้ายกำกับ: Atherosclerosis, heart attack

From Terry Martin,

Smoking is Hard on The Heart

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.

Damage to the endothelium allows plaque to build up along the lining of arterial walls, and as it does, blood flow is contricted and the supply of oxygen to the body is decreased. Plaque can rupture and cause blood clots (thrombus). These blood clots can break away and enter the blood stream, lodging in another part of the body, sometimes completely blocking blood flow (embolus). Fatty embolisms that block blood flow to the heart cause a heart attack. If they block blood flow to the brain, they cause a stroke. If blood flow to the arms and legs is reduced, it can cause difficulty walking and eventually lead to gangrene.

Three proven causes of atherosclerosis are:

Elevated Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels

Elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood cause damage to the endothelium. Some cholesterol is necessary, and the body usually produces most of what it needs in the liver. The other source of cholesterol comes from animal fat, and is known as LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

While our bodies need LDL cholesterol, too much of it can raise cholesterol levels dangerously and put a person at risk for atherosclerosis / heart attack. Foods that come from animals, i.e. chicken, eggs, dairy products, beef and pork contain cholesterol. Foods from plants do not contain cholesterol.

More on Cholesterol:

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the result of two forces. One is the pressure created by the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. The other is the force of the resistance of the arteries as the blood flows through them.

When the heart pumps, it pushes blood through the larger arteries and on into the smaller blood vessels, called arterioles. The arterioles can constrict or expand, and when they do, the resistance of the blood flow is affected. The more difficult it is for the blood to flow, the higher blood pressure will be.

When high blood pressure goes untreated for a long time and the heart is forced to pump harder to get the blood to flow, the result is often an enlarged and weakened heart muscle. And high blood pressure hurts the arteries and arterioles over time as well. They become scarred and hardened, putting a person at risk for atherosclerosis.

More on the Heart and Circulatory System

How the Heart Works - A 15 Minute Primer
About High Blood Pressure
About Blood Pressure - from A.D.A.M.

Tobacco Smoke

Cigarette smoke aggravates both of the above risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol

Nicotine and Carbon Monoxide

High Blood Pressure

malignant hypertension

More on the Chemicals in Cigarette Smoke

Smokers face an increased risk for atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

If you are a smoker and you're thinking about quitting, I have good news for you, and it is this:

It is never too late to quit smoking.

Regardless of your age or how many years you've smoked, research has shown that your body will begin the healing process within 20 minutes of your last cigarette.

Within one year of quitting smoking, coronary artery disease drops to half that of a smoker. Between 5 and 15 years of quitting, coronary disease and stroke risk drops to that of nonsmokers.

Quit Smoking Help

References: The American Heart Association
Cardiovascular Institute and Center for Cardiovascular Health

source:about.com