Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for heart attacks in men and women
The most effective way to avoid a heart attack is to stop smoking altogether. Even one cigarette every day increases the risk of a heart attack significantly.
More than 1 billion people in the world smoke, of which 80% live in low and middle-income countries. Each year, smoking kills five million people and passive smoking kills 600,000 people. Healthcare spending on smoking-related diseases is similarly significant and increasing; the burden of smoking cost the European economy over €500 billion in 2009.
Despite the massive reduction in cardiovascular disease in the last 30 years, it remains the main cause of death worldwide. Most cardiovascular disease is avoidable. A healthy lifestyle could prevent more than 80% of cardiovascular disease.
If you make the decision to stop smoking, it is best to plan this well. It is difficult to stop, so try to make it less difficult with these methods.
- Inform family and friends that you will stop smoking, set a date for complete cessation, and try to reduce the number of cigarettes already in the days before the stopping date.
- Discuss with your doctor the use of medication or nicotine substitutes to help you in stopping.
- Following a group stopping session or asking help from a specialist in this matter also helps.
- If you replace the smoking habit by more exercise, you will feel better after a few weeks and will not gain weight.
- Cravings for a cigarette usually last 3 to 5 minutes. If you can get over those few minutes, you are well on the way to not having that cigarette. The 4 D’s can help you do that.
- Delay: wait at least 3 minutes; the urge will pass
- Drink: water or juice
- Distract yourself: move away from the situation, and do something different
- Deep breaths: breathe slowly and deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Know that it is not because you did not succeed before that it cannot succeed next time: most smokers need a few attempts before they quit definitively.
The most effective way for smokers to reduce their chance of a heart attack is to kick the habit. Risk can be reduced further by being physically active, eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, and controlling blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
