Smoking and heart disease
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, including heart attacks and stroke. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smokers. However, once you stop smoking your health improves immediately and you begin to reduce your risk of heart disease.

To help you stop, there are several supports available. Here we outline the positive changes for your health when you stop smoking, we offer some useful tips on how to quit successfully and outline some of the commonly used aids.

What’s in a cigarette
4,000 chemicals including: tar - a sticky brown substance that forms when tobacco cools. This collects in the lungs and can cause cancer.

How does smoking affect my heart and circulation?
Nicotine, a highly addictive drug. It causes your blood vessels to narrow, increases your heart rate and raises your blood pressure.

• Carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas, reduces the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. This means that your heart has to work harder to get enough oxygen round your body. This can contribute to
• heart attack and angina (severe chest-pain).
• Smoking contributes to the long-term clogging or narrowing of the arteries and also to the risk of blood clots. These clots can suddenly block an artery completely, causing a heart attack or stroke.
• Smoking increases LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduces HDL (good) cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol are a risk for heart disease.
• Cigarette smoking contributes to blocked blood vessels especially in the legs and feet, leading to poor circulation and an increased risk of developing circulatory disease.
• Smoking increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes in women using the oral contraceptive pill.

The good news
It is never too late to stop smoking. The benefits begin as soon as you stop.

• Within 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate will return to normal. Circulation improves in your hands and feet, making them warmer.
• Within eight hours of stopping, the oxygen level in your blood will rise to normal and your carbon monoxide level will fall.
• Within 24 hours, the chance of you suffering a heart attack and stroke begins to fall.
• Within 72 hours, you can hold more air in your lungs. Breathing becomes easier. Your energy levels increase.
• Within days, your blood is less likely to clot.
• Within five years, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.
• Within 10 years, you will have about the same risk of heart disease as someone who has never smoked.

There are many more benefits including; increased energy and you will be free from the worry that you are damaging your health,as well as that of your family and friends.

Tips for stopping smoking

Prepare to stop smoking
Write down your reasons for stopping and keep the list to hand.

Make a date to stop
Pick your day to stop and stick to it.

Get support
Ask a friend or family for support or to stop smoking with you.

Think positive
You may find you experience withdrawal symptoms once you stop smoking. These are, in fact, the positive signs that your body is recovering from the effects of tobacco. A cough, irritability and sleep disturbances are some common symptoms. Don’t worry, they’re all perfectly normal and they will disappear within a week or two.

Learn to deal with cravings
Cravings can often happen during the first few days after stopping. A craving gets worse for three to five minutes and then begins to disappear. So when the craving starts, apply the 4D’s.

• Delay at least three minutes - the urge will pass.
• Drink a glass of water or fruit juice.
• Distract yourself - move away from the situation.
• Deep breathe. Breathe slowly and deeply.

Change your routine
Smoking is often linked to certain times and situations, such as the first smoke in the morning, and drinking tea, coffee or alcohol. Avoid those situations by doing something differentat these times.

Regular physical activity
Now that you have stopped smoking, you may wish to get more fit. Regular physical activity is good for your health and has many benefits for your heart. It helps to manage your weight and can also improve your body’s ability to meet the demands and stresses of daily living.

Start saving money
Put away the money you would normally spend on cigarettes and plan what you will do with the savings. If you smoke 20 cigarettes a day, you will save over €2,000 euros a year.

Watch what you eat
Try not to substitute cigarettes with sweets, cakes and biscuits. Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. For snacks, try fruit, vegetables or low-fat snacks. Drink plenty of water and other fluids such as diet drinks or fruit juices.

Take one day at a time
Each day without a cigarette is good news for your health, your family and your pocket.

No excuses
Don’t use a crisis or special celebration as an excuse for just one cigarette. There’s no such thing. One cigarette leads to another, and another, and another.

Some useful aids for stopping smoking
When stopping smoking, motivation and determination are the key to success. However, as well as support and counselling, there are several aids on the market today which may help some smokers. None of these aids provide a magic instant formula for success, but they may help some people stop smoking. Other people may need more counselling and support.

Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT)
NRT can increase the chances of success for smokers who are ready to stop. The most common forms of NRT, available from your pharmacist without a prescription, are gum, patches, inhalers and microtabs. NRT replaces some of the nicotine that you previously got from smoking, but at lower levels. These levels are just enough to help relieve withdrawal symptoms and to help you concentrate on breaking the smoking habit. NRT is available free to those with a medical card.

Zyban
This is a non-nicotine medication which can help some people stop smoking. It is only available on prescription. Your GP or hospital consultant will advise if you should try this medication.

Talk to your pharmacist
Always talk to your pharmacist before using any of these nicotine replacement products. You should use NRT under doctor’s supervision if you have a history of heart disease. Like any medicine or drug, keep all NRT products away from children. Do not smoke when using NRT.

What about light cigarettes or cigars?
Light or low-tar cigarettes or cigars are not an alternative to stopping smoking. Smokers who switch to light or low-tar cigarette brands breathe in more deeply and do not reduce their risk. Cigars contain high levels of carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry, so they increase your risk of heart disease.

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for a healthy and happy heart. If you are thinking of stopping smoking contact, The National Quitline at 1850 201 203 or your local health board or The Irish Heart Foundation, 4 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Phone: 01 6685001

For a copy of our stopping smoking leaflet email Bryan