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Risk Factors of Smoking

Smoking is the main preventable cause of disease and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Smoking has a negative effect on nearly every part of your body as soon as you inhale. The tar, nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes cause many health risks for smokers and those around them. Smoking raises your risk of cancer, respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

  1. Cancer

    • According to the CDC, smokers are 12 to 22 times more likely to die of lung cancer than non-smokers. Smoking increases the risk of developing many other types of cancers including esophageal, bladder, kidney, uterine, pharynx, larynx, pancreatic and oral cancer.

    Respiratory Disease

    • Smoking suppresses functions of the immune system, causing chronic coughing, wheezing, upper- and lower-respiratory tract infections, asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. According to the CDC, approximately 90 percent of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are caused by smoking cigarettes. Smokers are 10 times more likely to die of COPD.

    Heart Disease

    • Smoking lowers HDL (good) cholesterol and raises LDL (bad) cholesterol. Nicotine causes blood pressure to rise when you smoke, and it damages cells in your heart's arteries, causing an artery disease called atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. This can increase your risk of having a heart attack.

    Diabetes

    • Smoking raises blood-sugar levels and increases your risk of developing diabetes. If you already have diabetes, smoking increases your risk of developing complications of diabetes, including heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease, nerve damage, vascular disease and stroke.

    Stroke

    • Smoking causes plaque to build up in your arteries and blocks blood flow to the brain. When blood and oxygen can't reach your brain, tissue dies, and this can cause a stroke.

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