(STUDY FINDSs) – Cigarettes have become synonymous with lung cancer, but troubling new research finds a daily smoking habit is even more damaging to the heart than previously thought. Studies have shown for some time that smoking can damage blood vessels and block arteries, but this latest work reveals smoking actively harms the heart itself.
Study authors say the more people smoke, the worse their heart function becomes. On a positive note, “some” heart function did return after smokers quit the habit.
“It is well known that smoking causes blocked arteries, leading to coronary heart disease and stroke,” says study author Dr. Eva Holt of Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in a media release. “Our study shows that smoking also leads to thicker, weaker hearts. It means that smokers have a smaller volume of blood in the left heart chamber and less power to pump it out to the rest of the body. The more you smoke, the worse your heart function becomes. The heart can recuperate to some degree with smoking cessation, so it is never too late to quit.”
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