Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say even a few cigarettes a day can leave a decades-long mark on the heart.

In a study published in PLOS Medicine, the researchers said that smoking even two to five cigarettes a day can more than double the risk of any heart disease and raise the risk of death from any cause by 60 per cent compared to people who never smoked.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

Tobacco smoke damages blood vessels, raises blood clotting, worsens cholesterol, and speeds plaque buildup, all of which harm the heart and circulation. Nicotine and other chemicals also affect heart rhythm and pump function.

Researchers studying over 300,000 adults for almost 20 years found that compared with never smoking, smoking two to five cigarettes daily was associated with a 50 per cent higher risk of any type of cardiovascular disease and a 60 per cent increased risk of death from any cause.

The Cross Cohort Collaboration-Tobacco research group harmonized information from 22 long-term studies of predominantly U.S. adults who smoked and those who did not.

From their assessment, smoking 11 to 15 cigarettes a day conferred an 84 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease and more than twice the risk of death from all causes.

Quitting smoking immediately decreases health risks and continues to decrease those risks for the first 20 years. However, it may take up to 31 to 40 years of smoking abstinence for people who formerly smoked to have risk levels that approach those of individuals who never smoked.

The authors add, “This Is one of the largest studies of cigarette smoking to date using the highest quality data in the cardiovascular epidemiology literature. It is remarkable how harmful smoking is – even low doses of smoking confer large cardiovascular risks.

“As far as behaviour change, it is imperative to quit smoking as early in life as possible, as the amount of time passed since complete cessation from cigarettes is more important than prolonged exposure to a lower quantity of cigarettes each day.”

Dr Jennifer Miao, a cardiologist at Yale University, explained that tobacco use is a very well-established risk factor for heart disease that damages the blood vessel lining and accelerates the development of plaques and coronary artery disease.

He declared that smoking is also linked to heart rhythm issues, such as irregular heart rhythm and stroke.

Scientists have long known that smoking contributes to cardiovascular disease, but the connection between the number of cigarettes someone smokes and their specific level of risk has been less clear, particularly for people who smoke lightly.

As smoking habits shift and more individuals consume fewer cigarettes than in the past, gaining a clearer understanding of their long-term heart risks and the benefits of quitting remains essential, even for those who do not come close to a pack a day. (Nigerian Tribune)