What’s The Quickest Way To Ruin Your Health? Smoking.
Nicotine has a strong power over smokers because it taps into the pleasure and reward center of the brain and creates a slight adrenaline rush. But this short-lived, addicting feeling is not worth the risks. Take it from a team of researchers who followed the devastating effects of smokers in a recent research study. Even beyond the different types of cancers caused by smoking, smoking tobacco is now linked to 36 different types of heart disease. Smoking is even more dangerous than we thought!
A recent questionnaire based study was performed to determine whether smoking increased the risk of an extensive list of heart diseases. Nearly 200,000 participants who were 45 years or older completed a questionnaire about their health and tobacco habits. All participants were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease when they received the questionnaire, and each participant updated their information in the following years.
What was the outcome?
Current smokers–even “light smokers” of 4-6 cigarettes per day–have at least twice the risk of developing most types of heart disease. Smokers were also three times more likely to die from heart disease than non-smokers!
Researchers also found that those who quit by age 35 could avoid 90% of the conditions experienced by those who continued to smoke.
If you found this resource in an effort to start a health journey, begin by changing smoking habits if it applies to you. If you are eating right, exercising, drinking enough water, and getting good sleep, smoking STILL puts you at significant risk.
Want to read more smoking related research? Check out these resources as well or subscribe to our blog.
- Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire!
- Can’t Sleep? Vaping Isn’t Helping
- No Butts About It: Smoking Effects Gut Health
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