Smoking and Blood Pressure

Most people associate smoking with lung disease such as lung cancer, but smoking is responsible for much more. Nearly 30 percent of heart disease related deaths are directly linked to smoking. Heart disease is exacerbated by high blood pressure and smoking has a direct link to increased blood pressure. Nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco, e-cigarettes and in nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), causes the blood vessels to constrict. This increases the heart rate and blood pressure and decreases the oxygen available to the heart muscle.

Also, obstructions in the arteries, such as arteriole plaque, or plaque in the arteries, can give rise to increased pressure. This is called coronary artery disease, and this can also be caused by smoking because nicotine damages the lining of the arteries. Nicotine also increases clotting and damages the cells that line the walls of the arteries and other blood vessels. This can further increase blood pressure by blocking the flow of blood.

If you have heart disease and smoke, it is very important that you talk to your doctor and have he or she follow you closely. Quitting is always recommended because of the potential health benefits. Just hours after quitting your blood pressure may begin to decrease. Quitting is a great step to take, but be sure that you watch for new symptoms appearing. Your doctor may have to adjust your blood pressure medicine or other medications to accommodate the change to non-smoker status. Because of this, make sure to include your doctor in your stop smoking plan.

Resources:
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/kicking-habit
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20340
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/factors/smoke.htm

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