People who only smoke occasionally in social situations or while out on the weekends often think of themselves as non-smokers because they don't do it everyday. This may mislead them into thinking that they are not causing as much damage to their health or share the same health risks as people who smoke everyday. However, Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times reports that "even occasional cigarette smoking can impair artery function, a sign of looming heart disease."
In her report, Parker-Pope says that the study took a small group of people, half non-smokers and half occasional smokers and observed how their arteries respond to changes in blood flow, using a blood pressure cuff and an ultrasound. The social smokers agreed not to smoke any cigarettes for 2 days before participating in the experiment. The results showed that this group was 36 percent less responsive than non-smokers in changes to blood flow. Parker-Pope also reports that the researchers allowed the social smokers to have 2 more cigarettes before doing the study again. "The study showed that arterial responsiveness dropped by another 24 percent compared to before they smoked."
Quitting Smoking Now Can Reverse Damage
The good news is that according to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, quitting smoking now can reverse the risk of coronary heart disease in at least a month. Whether you smoke only 5 cigarettes a week or a pack a day, you are causing damage with each drag you take. The ASRT says that "Smoking can damage the innermost layer of the coronary arteries, known as the endothelium, causing the arteries to have difficulty expanding in response to increased blood flow. Since coronary endothelial dysfunction is reversible, early detection is important." Since the study in the New York Times reported that even occasional smokers are less responsive in changes to blood flow, it is important to quit smoking as soon as possible.
The ASRT posted the results of their own study on their website. They took a group of non-smoking men and a group who smokes an average of a pack a day and made them quit smoking for six months. They tested blood flow to the heart at rest and with a cold pressor. The smoking group was given the test at one month after they quit and again at six months. It turns out that blood flow rate is the same at rest for both groups, but under cold simulation, blood flow was slower for smokers. However, when the cold simulation test was given one month after the subjects quit smoking, blood flow was quicker and the body was more responsive to changes in stimuli. Improvements were still seen in the tests given six months after quitting.
While both studies discussed in this article show the relevance of quitting smoking, researchers are still planning future studies for middle aged smokers and studies regarding other health risks associated with smoking, such as diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Regardless, the bottom line is that the sooner you quit smoking, the healthier you will become.
Resources:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com
https://www.asrt.org
