Quitting smoking improves cholesterol | Reuters

By Lynne Peeples, Reuters Health

4 Min Read

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Smokers who successfully quit may enjoy yet another health benefit: improved cholesterol profiles. A boost in “good” cholesterol comes with quitting despite weight gain after putting out the last cigarette, hints a new study.

If confirmed in future research, the finding could shed light on the strong, yet somewhat mysterious relationship between smoking and heart health. Up to 20 percent of heart disease deaths are currently blamed on smoking, but researchers haven’t yet had a clear understanding of what lies behind the effect. Smoking likely affects the cardiovascular system in a variety of ways, including lowered oxygen levels and wear and tear on the heart itself.

Some small studies have also shown that smoking lowers good cholesterol (HDL) and raises bad cholesterol (LDL), lead researcher Dr. Adam Gepner of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison, told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

To test the impact of smoking on cholesterol levels more rigorously, and in a realistic setting, Gepner and his colleagues recruited more than 1,500 smokers representative of the current U.S. population, including its high proportion of overweight and obese individuals.

The average participant smoked about 21 cigarettes per day prior to the start of the study. After a year on one of five smoking cessation programs, 334 (36 percent) had succeeded in quitting.

The researchers found that those who stopped smoking experienced an average rise of about 5 percent, or 2.4 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), in HDL cholesterol.

Abstainers also experienced an increase in large HDL particles, which are important for lowering heart disease risk as well, report the researchers in the American Heart Journal.

The effects were somewhat stronger in women. However, it did not appear to matter how many cigarettes were smoked at the start of the study: heavy smokers enjoyed the same HDL benefit as lighter smokers after they quit.

One downside of kicking the habit can be weight gain. Sure enough, the group that quit gained an average of about 10 pounds compared to one or two pounds in the group that relapsed to smoking. Many participants were already overweight at the start of the study, with an average body mass index (BMI) of 29.6. (A BMI between 20 and 25 is generally considered healthy).

Adding pounds is known to hurt cholesterol levels, both raising the bad kind and lowering the good kind. As a result, the researchers think the weight gain might have offset some of the beneficial effects seen in the abstainers.

“Further benefits on cholesterol levels may have been actually masked by the weight gain seen after quitting,” explained Gepner.

“It is important to counsel quitters about weight gain and the need for a healthy diet and regular exercise during the quitting period,” he added.

The researchers caution that their results don’t prove that smoking cessation causes improvements in cholesterol. Further research is needed to rule out other possible explanations, including the role of changes in alcohol consumption, which is known to affect HDL.

Gepner also noted that it remains unclear exactly how smoking cessation might affect cholesterol levels, although it could have to do with changes in the proteins that control the breakdown of cholesterol. Smoking can damage these proteins.

Regardless, benefits were seen that might translate into better heart health.

Previous studies have shown, for example, that for every 1 mg/dL increase in HDL cholesterol, the risk of a cardiovascular event drops by up to three percent over 10 years.

Therefore, if the link holds, the improvements in blood lipids alone would decrease the average former smoker’s risk of a heart attack or stroke by up to 6 percent over the 10 years after they quit, said Gepner.

SOURCE: link.reuters.com/hup53r American Heart Journal, January 2011.

Effects of Smoking and Smoking Cessation on Lipids and Lipoproteins: Outcomes from a Randomized Clinical Trial

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Heart Health Tips

Heart Health Tips

Nowadays, the problem with the cardiovascular system is one of the main ones in the whole world. The number of heart diseases is increasing every year. And sadly, these diseases are getting younger and younger.

Despite this, there are many ways to deal with such a serious illness. And first of all, you need to adhere to the right lifestyle.

Scientists have named a number of good habits in order to maintain a healthy heart and prolong life.

1. Quit smoking

There can be no doubt about that. It is necessary to give up that which specifically can kill you. Even if it’s in small quantities. Smoking is an insidious and dangerous habit.

First of all, smoking causes great harm to the heart and blood vessels. After one cigarette smoked, blood pressure rises, the risk of thrombosis and blockage of the arteries increases. At the same time, the pulse of a smoker is 15,000 heartbeats per day more often than that of non-smokers. Therefore, the load on the heart is about 20% higher than normal.

Vasoconstriction during smoking causes oxygen starvation – hypoxia. Those who smoke several cigarettes a day have a 2-fold increase in the risk of stroke and heart attack. And the nicotine contained in cigarettes accumulates and settles in the bronchi and lungs.

2. Move more

Physical activity is essential for your heart. First of all, it strengthens the cardiorespiratory system, normalizes blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Move as much as possible if possible. The recommended amount of exercise per week is 130-150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and 60 minutes of strength training. Aerobic activities include swimming, brisk walking, cycling, Nordic walking, tennis, outdoor walking, and even exercising while cleaning your home or working in your garden.

During strength training, it is important to work the main muscle groups (legs, arms, back, shoulders). For this purpose, training with dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, as well as exercises with your own weight (push-ups, squats, pull-ups, yoga) are recommended.

But it is not necessary to strictly follow these recommended limits. Any physical activity, even minimal, is very good for health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

3. Keep your blood pressure under control

High blood pressure (hypertension) stresses the walls of the arteries. Because of this, they lose elasticity and become narrower. This leads to the appearance of blood plaques and cracks in the vessels, which entails the possibility of a stroke.

Experts say that the ideal blood pressure is 120/80. The elderly, overweight people, diabetics and heavy smokers are at an increased risk of hypertension (increased pressure in the system). If the pressure is above 140/90, then this indicates full-fledged hypertension.

Pressure may change throughout the day. Its level can be influenced by food, alcohol intake, smoking, as well as all sorts of stressful situations. To normalize blood pressure, experts recommend losing weight and eating right, reduce the amount of alcohol consumed and quit smoking, normalize sleep and try to avoid stress. You also need to reduce your salt intake.

4. Control your cholesterol

Cholesterol is one of the indicators that characterizes the state of human health. People who do not have problems with high cholesterol should check it at least once every 2 years. And people who have elevated cholesterol levels need to control it at least once every six months. In this case, the main thing is to pay attention to indicators such as HDL and LDL.

HDL Cholesterol is a healthy cholesterol for the cardiovascular system. Its content must be high. And as for LDL cholesterol, it is very unhealthy. Its content should be low. There is also a type of fat in the blood called triglycerides. High triglyceride levels are associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

By following a diet, you can normalize cholesterol levels. Foods such as sea fish, legumes, citrus fruits, oat bran, carrots, avocados, green tea, garlic and flax seeds are great at lowering bad cholesterol. And all kinds of nuts increase the level of “good” cholesterol. And in order to lower triglyceride levels, you need to cut down on processed empty carbohydrates – sugar, white bread, sweets, pasta, as well as packaged juices and all kinds of store-bought baked goods.

5. Monitor your blood sugar

If you have high blood sugar, ask your doctor if you have diabetes. Blood sugar levels are affected by factors such as drinking alcohol, taking antidepressants, lack of sleep, stress, being overweight, as well as an excess of sugary and fatty foods in the diet. The level of sugar in the blood is determined only on an empty stomach.

6. Pay attention to your weight

Obesity is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. The risk group includes those people who have an excess of visceral fat. It accumulates in the abdomen and around the internal organs – the liver, kidneys, stomach. These fat deposits are much more dangerous than subcutaneous fat, as they are more difficult to get rid of.

The amount of visceral fat is determined using body mass index. Calculating BMI is easy: you need to take your weight in kilograms and divide it by the square of your height in meters. For example, the BMI for a person who is 180 cm (1.8 m) tall and weighs 80 kg would be 24.69. (80 : (1.80 × 1.80) = 24.7). The healthiest readings are in the range of 20 to 25, above 25 is overweight, and above 30 is already obese.

However, according to experts, it is impossible to completely focus on BMI. In men, especially athletes with a lot of muscle mass, the figure can be more than 25, although the percentage of fat mass is low. Conversely, you can be thin, but still have a high percentage of visceral fat.

7. Review your diet

For heart health, it is recommended to always have plant foods (nuts, seeds, legumes, grains) in your diet. Also fresh fruits and vegetables are a must. An important place in the diet is given to seafood. This is especially true for fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel). It is also necessary to consume fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt and kefir) and healthy fats (olive, linseed, sesame oil).

Try to avoid foods with sugar, processed carbohydrates, sausages and sausages. Moderate consumption of butter, cheeses, red meat, milk and eggs.

The Mediterranean diet is very good for the heart. The basis of this diet is olive oil, nuts, seafood, fruits, vegetables, legumes and poultry. According to scientists, those people who adhered to this diet had much less problems with the cardiovascular system. These people were able to avoid stroke, heart attack and prolong their lives.

Dutch researchers found out how many years smoking cessation can prolong life smoke. The benefits of quitting the habit are “even better than we thought,” the researchers said.

April 8, 2022

Source:

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Dutch cardiologists are increasingly optimistic about the life expectancy of ex-smokers. Scientists at the University of Amsterdam Medical Center analyzed data from about a thousand smokers who had a heart attack and/or stent implantation or bypass surgery over the age of 45. All of them continued to smoke for at least six months after a heart attack or surgery.

The researchers also built a mathematical model, calculating the likely consequences of these people giving up cigarettes.

A report presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference stated that the findings were very positive—those who quit smoking experience far more health benefits than previously thought.

See also

Quitting smoking prolongs life

– Quitting smoking is as effective as taking three drugs to prevent seizures and strokes in those hearts who have already had a heart attack or surgery, said Dr. Tinka Van Trier of Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam.

Data analysis was based on a mathematical model designed to calculate the number of years of life patients would gain by quitting smoking.

It turned out that quitting smoking prolongs people’s lives by an average of almost 5 years – by 4.81 years, the Daily Mail writes. Even if smokers have suffered a heart attack, quitting cigarettes will allow them to live longer than those who continue to smoke.

This indicates that smoking cessation is a very important step towards increasing human life expectancy.

Cardiologists remind that the right motivation, as well as the help of doctors and psychologists, will help to overcome cigarette addiction in the first place.

– Stopping smoking is just one step you can take to improve your heart health, doctors say. “It’s also important to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, cut back on alcohol, and keep your cholesterol and blood pressure under control.

See also

How dangerous smoking is for the heart

• Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels.

• Nicotine, a highly addictive toxin, is strongly associated with a dangerous increase in heart rate and high blood pressure.

• Carbon monoxide, which enters the body when smoking, reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, impairs the supply of oxygen to the heart.