Smoking and Risk of Cardiac Disease Research Paper

Smoking and Risk of Cardiac Disease - Research Paper Example There are several risk factors for cardiac disease, some of which are preventable. The most significant preventable factor is smoking. Several studies have associated smoking with risk of cardiac disease. Infact, both passive and active smoking are associated with cardiac disease and hence in several countries in the world, smoking in public places has been banned. The specific cardiac disease that is caused by smoking is ischemic heart disease. While there are several views as to how smoking causes cardiac disease, most experts agree that there are several mechanisms through which smoking leads to the development of cardiac disease. Smoking is associated with many health-related problems and hence is a major health-related issue. It is a leading cause of illness and death all over the world. A smoker is at risk of developing cancers of the throat, mouth, lungs, bladder and esophagus and also heart attack. Research has shown that smoking increases the risk of lung, throat and mouth c ancers by 14 times, cancer of the esophagus by 4 times, chances of death through heart attack by two times and chances of bladder cancer by 2 times (Bernstein, EmedicineHealth). Other health-related problems occurring due to cigarette smoking are emphysema, chronic bronchitis, peptic ulcer disease, pneumonia, cancer of the lip, cancers of the larynx and pharynx, malignancies of the abdomino-pelvic organs like pancreas, bladder and kidneys and also cancer of the cervix. Cigarette smoking can also increase the risk of burns (Bernstein, EmedicineHealth). In this essay, the role of smoking in the development of cardiac disease will be discussed. This will be preceded by an overview of ischemic heart disease. The thesis statement in this essay is â€Å"What is the relationship between smoking and cardiac disease?† Ischemic heart disease or IHD or coronary heart disease is a condition in which there is oxygen deprivation to the muscles of the heart as a result of decreased blood fl ow and perfusion and is accompanied by inadequate removal of the products of metabolism (Zevitz, Emedicine). This is the most common form of heart disease and a leading cause of premature death in the developed countries (Zevitz, Emedicine). The hallmark feature of this condition is imbalance between the supply and demand of oxygen of the myocardium which can occur either due to increased myocardial oxygen demand or decreased myocardial oxygen supply or both. It can manifest as one of these: anginal discomfort, ST-segment deviation on ECG, decreased uptake of technetium 99 or thallium 201 in images of myocardial perfusion and ventricular function impairment (Zevitz, Emedicine). Ischemia to the myocardium results from disease in the coronary arteries. The disease is most often due to formation of atheroma and its consequences like thrombosis. Coronary arteries can be affected in other conditions also like aortitis, polyarteritis, certain connective tissue disorders and in some congen ital anomalies like fistula, malformation of major coronary artery and anomalous origin of coronary artery (Mcpherson, Medscape). Atheroma, also known as atherosclerosis is nothing but patchy focal disease of the intima of the artery. Of all the arteries in the body, coronary arteries are at increased risk of developing atheroma (Ross, p.443). The beginning of these plaques occurs in the second or third decade and gradually progresses. Initially, the circulating monocytes migrate into the intima of the arteries and take up oxidised low density lipoprotein from the plasma. These cells then become lipid-laden foam cells (Mcpherson, Medscape). Once these foam cells die, the contents of the cells are released which are mainly lipids. These form fatty streaks. Smooth muscles cells of the artery migrate in and around the