How Can Not Smoking Prevent A Heart Attack?

Smoking can have a lot of bad effects on the body including the heart, but how can not smoking can help prevent a heart attack? Smoking has a lot of bad effects on the body, especially the heart. Smoking can cause atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries. These fatty substances can lead to coronary heart disease. They can also lead to a heart attack, and strokes.  Quitting smoking is the number one best defense you can do for yourself for preventing these medical conditions.

When you smoke, you encourage the risk of coronary heart disease. This can happen alone with smoking, and adding other risk factors into your lifestyle can greatly increase your risk for heart attacks. Smoking also works to decrease your ability to handle physical activity. Everyone needs physical activity to help keep the heart strong, but if you cannot exercise properly, you are also increasing your chances for a heart attack in this area as well. With lack of exercise, you are increasing your risk for such things as blood clots, especially the older you get. Smoking also plays a role in your cholesterol. Smoking can actually decrease your good cholesterol. Decreasing your good cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease and ultimately a heart attack. 

Quitting smoking will give you more energy and more energy means you will better be able to tolerate exercise. Your heart will become stronger due to regular exercise and will be able to more efficiently pump well-oxygenated blood to all your organs. Quitting smoking will also help to lower your blood pressure. It also helps to raise good cholesterol and lower the bad, both of which play a large role in preventing heart attacks.

References:

American Heart

Providence.org