🚭 Smoking & Heart Health – Dr. Chabok
If you smoke, quitting is the single best step you can take to improve your health. Stopping smoking rapidly lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.”
🔹 🚬 Smoking & Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
- Smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths in adults over 35 in England.
- Doubles the risk of stroke by narrowing arteries & increasing clotting.
- 100,000 people die yearly in the UK from smoking-related diseases.
- 29% of cancer deaths, 13% of cardiovascular deaths & 30% of respiratory deaths are linked to smoking.
🔹 🩸 Harmful Effects of Smoking
📍 Nicotine is highly addictive & tobacco smoke contains 4,000+ chemicals, including 60+ carcinogens (cancer-causing substances).
📍 Smoking leads to:
✅ Premature death ⚰️
✅ Cancer 🎗️
✅ Lung & respiratory diseases 🌬️
✅ Heart attacks & strokes ❤️🧠
✅ Osteoporosis, ulcers, & infertility 🩻
🔹 🚸 Risks to Others (Passive Smoking)
- 85% of cigarette smoke affects the environment & people around you.
- Secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease, lung problems & stroke in non-smokers.
🔹 🛑 The Benefits of Quitting Smoking
📉 Risk of CHD & stroke declines rapidly after quitting!
- After 20 minutes: Blood pressure & heart rate start to return to normal.
- After 24 hours: Carbon monoxide leaves the body, improving oxygen levels.
- After 1 year: Risk of CHD is halved.
- After 10 years: Risk of stroke is similar to someone who never smoked.
🔹 💡 Tips to Stop Smoking
✔️ Set a quit date 📅 – Commit to a day & prepare.
✔️ Tell family & friends 🫂 – Support makes quitting easier.
✔️ Avoid triggers 🚫 – Identify & manage stress, alcohol, and peer pressure.
✔️ Use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) 💊 – Reduces cravings.
✔️ Don’t give up after setbacks 🔄 – Try again! Many quitters fail before succeeding.
🔹 📞 Need Help? Contact These Resources:
📍 NHS Smoking Helpline: 0800 022 4332
📍 NHS Smokefree Support: www.nhs.uk/smokefree
Dr. Chabok encourages smoking cessation to improve heart health & overall well-being ❤️.