Smoking and Heart Disease, Stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease

Heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease are cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases (CVDs).¹

Heart disease includes several types of heart conditions. The most common type in the United States is coronary heart disease (also known as coronary artery disease). Coronary heart disease occurs when the walls of arteries that carry blood to the heart are narrowed by plaque, a process known as atherosclerosis.^2,3 This can cause:

• Chest pain²
• Heart attack (when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked and a section of the heart muscle is damaged or dies)^2,4
• Heart failure (when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs)^2,5
• Arrhythmia (when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly)^2,6

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing parts of the brain to become damaged or die.⁷ Stroke can cause disability (such as paralysis, muscle weakness, trouble speaking, or memory loss)⁷ or death.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the narrowing or blocking of peripheral arteries, the vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body.⁸ Similar to coronary heart disease, this narrowing or blockage is often caused by plaque in the arteries.⁸

PAD is most common in the legs and lower body but can also occur in the arms and upper body. PAD can typically cause muscle pain during physical activity, like walking, that quickly gets better after resting.⁹ Other symptoms of PAD can include having feelings of weakness or numbness in the legs that make it feel harder to walk or having one arm or leg feel colder than the other.^8,10

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes one of every four deaths from CVD.¹² Smoking can:¹²

• Raise triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood)
• Lower “good” cholesterol (HDL)
• Make blood sticky and more likely to clot, which can block blood flow to the heart and brain
• Damage cells that line the blood vessels
• Increase the buildup of plaque (fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances) in blood vessels
• Cause thickening and narrowing of blood vessels

Breathing secondhand smoke can also harm your health. Secondhand smoke is the smoke from burning tobacco products.^11,13,14 Secondhand smoke also is smoke breathed out by someone smoking.^13,14

Breathing secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease and stroke.^12,13,14 Know the facts:¹¹

• Secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 early deaths from coronary heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers.
• Nonsmokers who breathe secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25–30%. Secondhand smoke increases the risk for stroke by 20−30%.
• Each year, secondhand smoke exposure causes more than 8,000 deaths from stroke.
• Breathing secondhand smoke interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
• Even briefly breathing secondhand smoke can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause your blood to become stickier. These changes can lead to a heart attack.

Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, are major causes of death and disability in the United States. Many people are at high risk for these diseases and don’t know it. The good news is that many risk factors for cardiovascular diseases can be prevented or controlled.

It’s important to know your risk for cardiovascular disease and to take action to reduce that risk. A good place to start is with the ABCS of heart health:¹⁶

• Aspirin: Aspirin may help reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. But do not take aspirin if you think you are having a stroke. It can make some types of stroke worse. Before taking aspirin, talk to your doctor about whether aspirin is right for you.
• Blood pressure: Control your blood pressure.
• Cholesterol: Manage your cholesterol.
• Smoking: Quit smoking, or don’t start.

In addition to following the ABCS, you can also protect the health of your heart, brain, and blood vessels by:^15,16

• Avoiding secondhand smoke.
• Eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Eating low-fat, low-salt foods most of the time.
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Being physically active regularly.
• Limiting alcohol use.
• Controlling other health conditions (such as diabetes).

Tonya M., a participant in the Tips From Former Smokers^® (Tips^®) campaign, smoked cigarettes for more than 23 years and was diagnosed with heart failure when she was 38. Tonya eventually had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgically inserted inside her chest. The LVAD is a battery-operated mechanical pump that helps her weakened heart continuously move blood through her body. For more information about LVADs, visit the American Heart Association’s website.

Brian H., another Tips campaign participant, smoked heavily and had a heart attack at age 35. He learned how important it was to quit—and to stay quit. By doing so, he eventually qualified for and received a precious gift—a heart transplant. For more information about organ donation, go to organdonor.gov.