How smoking affects your circulation

The chemicals in cigarettes can damage our circulatory system in a number of ways.

Inflammation
Cigarettes contain thousands of chemicals, many of which are known to be harmful to our bodies, these include nicotine and carbon monoxide. These chemicals have a harmful impact on the cells lining the blood vessels by activating a type of white blood cell called neutrophils, which cause inflammation¹. When blood vessels are inflamed, there is less room for the blood to flow freely.
Cholesterol
Smoking has a detrimental effect on the cholesterol levels in your blood. Not only does it worsen the impact of ‘bad’ cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein - LDL) on the body and increases its toxicity, it also reduces the level of the ‘good’ stuff (high-density lipoprotein – HDL) in your blood stream – this type of cholesterol protects against heart disease².
Arteries
The chemicals in cigarettes also damage the lining of the arteries. This damage can cause fatty deposits to build up on the artery walls (atherosclerosis). Such deposits increase the risk of heart attack by narrowing important arteries to the heart. The same deposits can impact other areas of the body, causing a condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD)³, which occurs when circulation to the extremities – usually the legs and feet – is impaired, which can cause leg pain.
Loss of elasticity
Nicotine can also have a negative effect on blood flow, as it causes blood vessels to shrink. Over time, the pressure on blood vessels causes them to lose elasticity and get stiff. Again, this can affect the body’s ability to circulate blood as it should.
Sticky blood
Chemicals in cigarettes may also cause your blood to become more ‘sticky.’ Not only does this make it harder for the heart to pump it around the body, but stickier blood also puts you at higher risk of forming blood clots. The thicker, sticky blood can also cause damage to your blood vessels².

Smoking and your circulatory system

References

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