How does Smoking Cause Cardiovascular Disease?
What makes smoking so harmful? Tobacco, most commonly found in cigarettes, is obtained from leaves of the plant Nicotiana tabacum. The leaves of this plant contain nicotine, an alkaloid that is responsible for the addiction. Nicotine enters the bloodstream when we smoke and directly goes to the brain. This is why people derive a good-feeling when they smoke, but simultaneously it opens the door for addiction. Each cigarette contains nearly 1 mg of nicotine. But, if a smoker smokes 20-30 cigarettes per day, the amount of nicotine entering the body can be disastrous. Smoking increases the heart beat and it is one of the main causes of high blood pressure. Certain carcinogen, such as carbon monoxide found in tobacco, form carboxyhemoglobin when it combines with hemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Narrowing of arteries, blockage of blood vessels and high cholesterol levels are the negative effects of smoking that paves the way for cardiovascula
