Young Smokers

Most people would npt consider a 35 year old a likely candidate for serious heart trouble, even if she is a young smoker. But new research shows that young smokers between 35 and 39 are at a significantly higher risk of heart attacks than their non-smoking peers.

New data suggests that a young smoker who starts smoking at the age of 25 could well end up in the cardiac unit 10 years later, brought on by a risk factor that is completely preventable i.e. the smoking habit. Recent research by the World Health Organization shows that young smokers between the ages of 35 and 39 are at a much higher risk of having a heart attack before the age of 40 than non-smokers. Says cardiologist Dr. Johnny Lee of the NY Heart Associates, "It's a landmark trial. We've known that smoking in older people causes more heart attacks. Now we have a large trial that establishes that fact for a younger age group, between the ages of 35 and 39. Based on this study, if you smoke, your risk for heart attack can increase as much as fivefold."

The international study found the risk of having a heart attack was five times greater for male smokers between 35 and 39, and almost five and a half times greater for female smokers in the same age group, as compared to non-smokers. Cholesterol plaques start to form in the arteries at a very young age, even as early as the teenage years. Over time that plaque builds up, sometimes accelerated if the person has more than one risk factor for heart disease. "Risk factors such as lifestyle and family history are not additive, but multiplicative. So if someone is already smoking and they have diabetes then their risk is not just doubled, but is 3 or 4 times as high." says Dr. Lee.

These are risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease. "This is a very important study to use as an instrument to increase public awareness of the harmful effects of smoking. Now we can tell young smokers that they are at risk even in their 20s and 30s, and not just when they reach middle age." says Dr. Lee. It's a warning for young smokers who take too casual an attitude about their habit, to seriously consider quitting. In addition to quitting smoking, experts recommend all individuals should concentrate on sticking to a low cholesterol diet, watching salt intake to avoid high blood pressure, and controlling weight, since overweight individuals are more prone to diabetes.

There are several ways in which smoking does damage to the blood vessels that feed oxygen to the heart. It is thought that smoking affects the ability of the blood vessels to open and close properly, and harms the cells which line the blood vessels, called the endothelium. It is also believed that smoking has a harmful effect on blood clotting. If the damage to the blood vessels is so great that blood can't get through to the heart, the young smoker is at serious risk of having heart trouble. The harmful effects of smoking are known to rapidly reverse if the smoker quits. Hence the most practical step a young smoker can take to ensure that she doesn't end up in a cardiac care unit, is simply to quit smoking.

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