‘One out of five deaths from heart disease directly related to smoking’*
Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jan 07 (KNO): Terming that cigarette smoking is injurious to health, doctors on Thursday said that one particular brand can’t be blamed for the rise in the heart attacks in the Valley.
Dr Nisar- Ul- Hassan, President of Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) said that all cigarettes are same and are injurious to health.
While replying to a question can a particular brand of cigarette be the reason behind the growing heart attacks in Kashmir, Hassan said that cigarette smoking is one of the main reason behind heart attacks, but can’t pinpoint any one brand.
“There are many reasons behind heart attack and smoking is one of them and out of every five deaths related to heart disease one is directly related to smoking,” he said. “The winter chill increases risk of having a heart attack or stroke and research shows that there are 53 per cent more heart attacks in winter than in summer.”
Dr Suhail Naik, President of another faction of Doctors Association said that irrespective of any brand, every cigarette contains nicotine and tar which are very injurious to health and can cause cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
“The risk factors for heart disease are age, sex, lack of exercise, obesity, diabetes and smoking but the most common risk factor is smoking,” he said.
“Irrespective of brand, smoking causes cancer, cardiovascular diseases and brain strokes and these three diseases are responsible for death in adults of age over 30 years,” he said.
Experts believe that every cigarette a person smoke makes him/her more likely to get heart disease, while one out of five deaths from heart disease is directly related to smoking.
Experts said, people who smoke two to four times in a day are more likely to get heart disease.
“The risk is even greater for women who smoke and also take birth control pills,” they said. “Cigarette smoke is also bad for the people who sit around a person who smokes. It can cause heart disease and lung cancer in them also.”
“Nicotine in cigarette reduces oxygen in your heart, raises blood pressure, speeds up heart rate, makes blood clots more likely, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes and harms your blood vessels, including those in your heart,” the experts reveal—(KNO)
