Smoking strains your heart with every puff
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, experts urge residents to rethink smoking as its effects begin almost instantly.
Pretoria residents are being urged to rethink the impact of smoking as health experts warn that every cigarette places immediate strain on the heart and blood vessels.
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, Pharma Dynamics highlighted that smoking should not only be viewed as a long-term health risk, but as a repeated cardiovascular ‘stress event’ that continuously affects the body throughout the day.
According to Pharma Dynamics, nicotine rapidly enters the bloodstream once a cigarette is smoked, triggering the release of adrenaline. This causes heart rate and blood pressure to rise while blood vessels narrow, making it harder for blood to circulate efficiently.
The company further explained that carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke binds to haemoglobin in the blood, reducing its ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. As a result, the heart is forced to work harder while receiving less oxygen.
“Each cigarette triggers a short, intense cardiovascular stress response. Heart rate increases, blood pressure rises and oxygen delivery is compromised. For someone smoking regularly, this is happening multiple times a day, sometimes every hour,” said Ingrid Singels, Associate Director of Scientific Products at Pharma Dynamics.
Singels explained that many people underestimate the immediate physiological impact smoking has on the body because heart disease is often associated with long-term damage only.
“We often think of heart disease as something that develops slowly over years, but these immediate spikes place repeated strain on blood vessels and the heart itself,” she explained.
Pharma Dynamics stated that smoking also affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, with nicotine contributing to insulin resistance and increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For individuals already living with diabetes, smoking may worsen blood vessel damage and increase the likelihood of complications.
Globally, tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death, claiming more than seven million lives annually, including about 1.6 million non-smokers who die due to exposure to second-hand smoke.
In South Africa, tobacco-related diseases claim more than 25 000 lives every year, while tobacco use reportedly kills up to half of its users.
Pharma Dynamics also highlighted the economic burden associated with tobacco use, stating that smoking costs South Africa an estimated R42-billion annually through healthcare expenses, lost productivity and premature deaths.
“As a company working closely with cardiovascular and metabolic health, we see firsthand how many patients are on chronic medication for heart and metabolic-related conditions. The scale of preventable disease is enormous,” shared Singels.
The company stated that one of its key focuses is shifting conversations from treatment to prevention by encouraging healthier lifestyle choices and smoking cessation.
“The reality is that once someone is on lifelong medication for hypertension or heart disease, we are already managing the consequences. Our goal is to reduce that pipeline in the first place through awareness and lifestyle change,” explained Singels.
The company further stated that the heart begins recovering shortly after a person stops smoking, with heart rate and blood pressure gradually improving within minutes after quitting.
“People often underestimate what a single cigarette does in real time. It’s just a future risk; it’s a present biological event affecting the heart every time you light up,” said Singels.
Residents who want to quit smoking can contact the National Council Against Smoking through its Smokers Quitline on 011 720 3145 or via WhatsApp on 072 766 7812 for counselling and guidance.
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