Tobacco Use: Quit For Your Heart

Why Quit?
Smoking, in addition to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes tops the list as a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and is responsible for claiming the lives of more than 430,000 Americans each year. In fact, smoking has been classified as the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States.

According to the American Heart Association, eliminating smoking not only reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, but also reduces the risk of repeat heart attacks and death by heart disease by 50 percent.

Research also indicates that smoking cessation is crucial in the management of many contributors to heart attack, including atherosclerosis, thrombosis, coronary artery disease, and cardiac arrhythmias.

How do I quit?
Quitting smoking is both a mental and a physical undertaking. Mentally, you should be ready. Physically, you need to commit to exercising daily and getting plenty of sleep.

A person trying to quit must overcome two obstacles: a physical addition to nicotine and a habit.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology and the American Lung Association offer the following tips to help users quit using tobacco products:

• Think about why you want to quit.
• Pick a stress-free time to quit.
• Ask for support and encouragement from family and friends.
• Start a daily exercise or activity to relieve stress and improve your health.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Join a smoking cessation program, or other support group.