Smoking and Hypertension

Places all over the world are now starting to ban smoking from public places. Not only is smoking dangerous to the individual doing the smoking but to everyone around them.Roughly 21 percent of people living in the United States are smokers. That ends up being around 46 million people. A recent poll found that nearly 70 percent of the people that do smoke want to quit because of the dangers associated with smoking. (1) Not only is smoking linked to cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart attack, and stroke; but it also has been linked to hypertension or high blood pressure as well.

Why Smoking causes Hypertension

It is estimated that about 30 percent of all deaths from heart disease in the United States are because of people that have smoked. In fact, smoking is one of the major causes of coronary artery disease in those that are young and old. (2) There are a couple factors that increase a smoker's risks for hypertension and heart attack. These factors are the amount of cigarettes he or she smokes and the number of years a person has smoked for. The more cigarettes someone smokes the more chance the have of developing hypertension, heart disease, and other medical conditions. For example, some one that smokes a pack of cigarettes a day have twice the risk of heart attack than someone that is a non-smoker. The smoker will also increase their risk the longer he or she smokes. (2) There are many reasons why smoking increases the risk of hypertension and heart disease. These reasons include: a decreased amount of oxygen to the heart, increased blood pressure and heart rate, an increased risk of blood clots, and damage to cells that line the blood vessels and arteries. (2)

Preventing and Controlling Hypertension

One of the most obvious ways to prevent and control hypertension properly is to stay away from cigarettes and other tobacco products. It is also know that alcohol and caffine have known to be linked to causing hypertension, therefore, you want to make sure that you limit your intake. It was found that individuals that drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to increase the incident of hypertension. Another study found that if a person that already has hypertension drank five cups of coffee a day it will cause a mild increase in their blood pressure. (3) Some other ways to prevent and control hypertension include a regular exercise program, yoga or tai chi, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding saturated fats, and eating a well balanced diet. There are prescription medications the markets that do help control hypertension, however, they come with some very harsh side effects like: birth defects, kidney failure, decreased white blood cells, cough, dizziness, head ache, weakness, and rash. (4) Therefore, many people have sought out more healthy and natural options to control their hypertension. References: (1)http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/you_can_quit/alone.htm (2)http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/kicking-habit (3)http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20340 (4)http://www.medicinenet.com/ace_inhibitors/article.htm