Smoking affects the vessels that supply blood to your heart and other parts of your body. It reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood and damages blood vessel walls. Smoking increases the stiffness of the arteries, making it harder for them to expand and contract as needed. Platelets in your blood can get sticky and may form clots. These changes to the arteries can increase the risk of a heart attack, angina or a stroke.
You’ll feel the benefits of quitting almost straight away as your body starts to repair itself. Depending on how much you smoked, you should start seeing and feeling benefits after a week.
Research shows that people with coronary heart disease who stop smoking have a reduced risk of complications, including another heart event.
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your heart health. If you want to quit, speaking with your doctor or calling the Quitline on 13 78 48 is a great place to start.
The Quitline is staffed by trained Quitline counsellors who offer support and expert tips to help you throughout your quit journey. Your doctor can also prescribe medicines to help you stop smoking, like nicotine replacement therapy.
Second-hand smoking (breathing other people’s tobacco smoke) can also damage your blood vessels in a similar way to if you were smoking yourself.
If someone you love/live with smokes:
Vaping or using e-cigarettes has the same risk as smoking tobacco. Vaping everyday increases the risk of a heart attack by around 50% compared with not vaping. There is evidence that it increases blood pressure, heart rate and the stiffness of your arteries.
Find out more about quitting the use of e-cigarettes and vaping on the Quit website.
Last updated02 July 2024