How Tobacco Use Impacts the Heart

Tobacco use is a significant risk factor for heart disease. The general harmful effects of tobacco are well known, but tobacco use impacts the heart in specific ways that make continued use detrimental for heart patients. These effects hold true for all forms of tobacco use, whether smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco products, including chewing tobacco and snuff. 

Here are some the ways that tobacco use impacts the heart.

Increased blood pressure

Nicotine narrows the blood vessels, which is why both smoking and vaping increase blood pressure. A narrow, constricted blood vessel results in more pressure on the vessel wall. Over time, high blood pressure causes artery walls to be less elastic, restricts blood flow to the heart, and damages the heart. 

Reduced oxygen delivery

Using tobacco products introduces nicotine and carbon monoxide into the blood, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. When the same amount of blood has less oxygen in it, the heart must work harder to deliver needed oxygen to the body. A less efficient, harder working heart sustains damage and is more susceptible to disease.

Risk of blood clots

Tobacco use increases risk of blood clots. Blood contains platelets that have proteins on the surface, and these proteins enable the platelets to stick together when needed. The chemicals in tobacco can cause them to stick together more than necessary, which forms blood clots. After a clot forms, it can travel to the heart and cause a heart attack or to the brain and cause a stroke.

Damage to the heart muscle

Smoking can trigger a type of scarring in the heart called cardiac fibrosis. Cardiac fibrosis can lead to arrhythmia or heart failure.

Interactions with medications

Tobacco can interfere with multiple medications often prescribed for cardiac patients. Smoking is shown to reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners, which may be prescribed for patients with a heart rhythm disorder or other heart conditions. When tobacco use interferes with these or other medications, it can impact quality of life for the patient or increase the risk of stroke. 

Tobacco use of any kind can impact the heart in many ways. The good news is that quitting tobacco products reduces risk for further damage to the heart and can even allow some of the negative impacts to be reversed. If you need help quitting, reach out to your physician today to make a plan.