The Worst Things You Can Do for Your Heart

Every puff of your cigarette increases your chance of having a life-threatening heart attack. According to the National Institutes of Health, the chemicals in tobacco smoke raise your risk of atherosclerosis — a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up in your arteries. This can damage your heart’s ability to function. Over time, this plaque hardens and narrows your arteries, limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs. Coronary heart disease occurs if the plaque builds up in the coronary, or heart, arteries. But that’s not all! Smoking is also a major risk factor for peripheral arterial disease — when plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs and limbs. Smoking raises your blood pressure and reduces your HDL, or “good,” cholesterol. The good news? If you can find a way to quit permanently, you can reduce your risk almost immediately. Experts say you may even eliminate tobacco’s negative effects within three years.