A middle-aged man smoking
What are the effects that smoking brings to our health?
Here are a few of the effects that smoking brings to our physical body:
- Decreased oxygen to the heart and to other tissues in the body
- Decreased exercise tolerance
- Decreased HDL (good) cholesterol
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels
- Increased risk of developing coronary artery disease and heart attack
- Increased risk of developing peripheral artery disease and stroke
- Increased risk of developing lung cancer, throat cancer, chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema
- Increased risk of developing diabetes
- Increased risk of developing a variety of other conditions including gum disease and ulcers
- Increase tendency for blood clotting
- Increased risk of recurrent coronary artery disease after bypass surgery
- Increased risk of becoming sick (especially among children: respiratory infections are more common among children exposed to second-hand smoke)
References:
Smoking Awareness 