Are you down to only one cigarette a day and think you’re off the hook from any harmful effects?
Just how “light” a smoker can you be before this habit starts ruining your body?
Some smokers like to think that their number of cigarettes per day falls below a threshold, above which the habit then starts causing harm to the heart, lungs and other systems.
How many smokes a day?
Few people smoke only two or three, let alone one, cigarette a day — as a chronic habit.
Many who are trying to quit will taper down to just a few, and eventually one, cigarette a day.
But those who want to keep smoking usually go through at least half a pack on a daily basis. Certainly, there are exceptions, e.g., those who smoke four or five cigarettes a day.
But just ONE a day as a regular habit? Not likely.
One Cigarette a Day Is Still Enough to Significantly Raise the Risk of Clogged Arteries
The British Medical Journal (January 2018) says just one cigarette a day increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke enough such that smokers should quit 100 percent. Not even one smoke a day.
The risk of developing heart disease and stroke from one cigarette a day is HALF as much as with 20 cigarettes a day. HALF. Gee, that’s still pretty bad.
The Study
• Professor Allan Hackshaw at the UCL Cancer Institute at University College London led the investigation.
• The results of 141 studies were analyzed including the relative risks for smoking one, five or 20 cigarettes a day.
The Results
• Men who puffed on only one cigarette a day had 46 percent of the increased risk for blocked arteries that men who smoked 20 cigarettes a day did. That’s about half of something really bad.
• The risk for stroke was 41 percent.
• For women, it was 31 percent for heart disease and 34 percent for stroke when compared to women who smoked 20 cigarettes every day.
One a Day
One cigarette a day may seem like nothing. But 365 cigarettes a year mean a lot to the body: a lot of bad things.
There is no safe level of smoking.
“We know that smoking contributes to all stages of development of atherosclerosis, including endothelial dysfunction and thrombus formation,” says says Natasha Fuksina, MD, an internal medicine and obesity specialist who combines traditional, integrative and functional medicine to restore health and function.
“Smoking causes inflammation and oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which causes heart disease.
“Research shows that cigarette smoking increases oxidative stress as a potential mechanism for initiating cardiovascular dysfunction.”
Shutterstock/Bogdan Vija
It’s always a perfect time to kick the habit!
Dr. Fuksina is the founder of astraMDhealth, which includes telemedicine. Double board certified in internal and obesity medicine, she focuses on a personalized approach, including metabolism and genetic makeup, to customize treatments and preventive care.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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