Question: How are smoking and the heart linked?

Cristina Villa del Campo answered on 19 Nov 2015:

Hi Alejandra!
Thanks for your question!
There are many ways the smoke in cigarettes affect your heart. One of the most important ones is that it makes your arteries less flexible, it damages their walls which makes it easier for cholesterol plaques to form. When this plaques block an artery in the heart you can have a heart attack. It also makes your blood carry less oxygen, which is bad for your whole body. To compensate, your heart makes an extra effort to make sure your cells get all they need. In short, your heart will thank you for not smoking!