Researchers Found Link Between Cigarette Smoking And Heart Failure

Research shows that smoking tobacco can affect your heart's left ventricle. Among the many side-effects, studies prove that smoking can cause cardiomegaly or the enlargement of the heart. They even found out that smokers with no history of any cardiovascular disease have a higher risk.

Researchers studied the effect of tobacco in the heart's left ventricle, which has the most important role of pumping the heart. Since left ventricle's wall is dominated by muscles, results show that as smokers inhale smoke, the muscles work harder making the heart increase in size. Thus, it leads to complications such as loss of cardiac functions which include arrhythmia and stroke.

Nonetheless, the structure in the heart that the tobacco damages and causes cardiovascular incidents have not yet been found. Studies through imaging brought conflicting results. Researchers found that some smokers have an increased mass of their left ventricle and some do not.

Experts survey the effect of tobacco to the heart and got clearer answers. With over 4,850 participants and have an average age of 75, from Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and four states, such as Forsyth County, NC; Jackson, MS; Minneapolis, and Washington County, MD. They calculated the cigarettes does the participants more or less took through a questionnaire. They compared the individuals, 1,977 (43.2 percent) had never smoked, 2,316 (50.5 percent) were former smokers 287 and (6.3 percent) were current smokers. They even go through the factors including race, age, body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes, and alcohol consumption, according to Medical News Today.

All of the participants went through an echocardiogram, it is a scan that uses a high-frequency sound to create an image of the heart and nearby blood vessels. Experts determined that it is clear that people who smoke indeed have thicker walls on their left ventricle.

In line with this, lead author of the study Dr. Wilson Narduz Jr. Ph.D. said, "These data suggest that smoking can independently lead to thickening of the heart and worsening of heart function, which may lead to a higher risk of heart failure, even in people who don't have heart attacks."

However, good news for people who quit smoking, results shows that they have the same heart size as the people who never smoked. Their study was published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, according to Business Insider.