How is smoking a risk factor for atherosclerosis?

How is smoking a risk factor for atherosclerosis?

The chemicals in tobacco smoke harm your blood cells. They also can damage the function of your heart and the structure and function of your blood vessels. This damage increases your risk of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up in the arteries.

How is smoking a risk factor?

Smoking and Increased Health Risks Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Estimates show smoking increases the risk: For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times. For stroke by 2 to 4 times.

What factors can increase and decrease the risk of atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Risk factors may include high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical activity, and eating saturated fats.

How does nicotine cause atherosclerosis?

By inducing the release of catecholamines, nicotine increases heart rate and blood pressure. These adverse hemodynamic effects are associated with progression of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, nicotine-induced catecholamine release increases platelet aggregability 3.

Is smoking a primary risk factor?

Smoking and heart disease Smoking, along with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes, tops the list as a primary risk factor for heart disease. In fact, smoking is the single most preventable cause of early death in the U.S.

What are the 3 risk factors that you can change to prevent cardiovascular disease?

These are called risk factors. About half of all Americans (47%) have at least 1 of 3 key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Some risk factors for heart disease cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history.

How does nicotine affect the arteries?

Nicotine is a dangerous and highly addictive chemical. It can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries (vessels that carry blood). Nicotine may also contribute to the hardening of the arterial walls, which in turn, may lead to a heart attack.

What affects atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis-Related Diseases Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body, including arteries in the heart, brain, arms, legs, pelvis, and kidneys. As a result, different diseases may develop based on which arteries are affected.

What are 10 risk factors?

Major Risk Factors

• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
• High Blood Cholesterol. One of the major risk factors for heart disease is high blood cholesterol.
• Diabetes.
• Obesity and Overweight.
• Smoking.
• Physical Inactivity.
• Gender.
• Heredity.

How does smoking increase the risk of atherosclerosis?

Cigarette smoke aggravates both of the above risk factors for atherosclerosis in the following ways: Cholesterol: The toxins in tobacco smoke lower your high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL or “good” cholesterol) while raising levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or “bad” cholesterol).

What are the risk factors for atherosclerotic disease?

However, between 70% and 90% of the risk of atherosclerotic disease can be explained by different associations between conventional risk factors, such as smoking, abnormal lipids, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, psychosocial factors, unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity.

Why is atherosclerosis different in different countries?

Major differences are between different countries, mainly because of the variation of risk factors for atherosclerosis between populations. Over 300 risk factors have been associated with atherosclerosis and its major complications, coronary heart disease and stroke.

How is smoking related to heart disease and stroke?

Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes one of every four deaths from CVD. 9 Smoking can: 10 How Is Breathing Secondhand Smoke Related to Heart Disease and Stroke? Breathing secondhand smoke also harms your health.