Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your blood and cells. Your liver makes most of the cholesterol in your blood, but the rest comes from the foods you eat.
Cholesterol needs to be packaged into lipoproteins to travel throughout your body.
There are two forms of cholesterol:
High-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol packages up excess cholesterol from around your body and sends it to your liver for removal.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is unhealthy cholesterol that can build up in your arteries to form plaque, a waxy deposit that can block normal blood flow.
Smokers are more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers. This increased risk is due to the chemicals in cigarettes that narrow blood vessels and increase the level of “bad” cholesterol in your blood.
Smoking makes it harder for your body to remove LDL from your body, which can stick to your arteries and clog them.
It is well known that smoking can cause significant damage to your lungs and increase your risk of lung disease, cancer, and asthma.
In addition to its direct effects on your heart and lungs, the smoke you exhale when you smoke:
- Increases LDL cholesterol levels
- Decreases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels
- Increases the likelihood of blood clotting
- Increases blood viscosity
- Reduces the width of blood vessels
- Damages the cells lining blood vessels and arteries
Acrolein, a substance found in cigarette smoke, has been found to alter cholesterol levels. Acrolein may prevent HDL cholesterol from transporting LDL cholesterol out of body tissues to the liver for removal, leading to a buildup of LDL in the body.
As a result, smoking increases the buildup of LDL cholesterol in your arteries and interferes with HDL cholesterol’s ability to counteract the damage caused by LDL.
Does quitting smoking lower cholesterol?
Quitting smoking can reduce damage to your heart and lower your risk of a heart attack. Damage to your lungs and heart related to smoking can be reversed in a very short time.
- Within hours of quitting, your heart rate will return to normal and the chemicals you inhaled when smoking will begin to leave your body
- Within days of quitting, the quality of your breath will increase and your sense of smell and taste will improve
- Within a month of quitting, blood flow throughout your body will improve, your energy levels will increase, and exercise will become easier
- One study found that the risk of heart attack and heart disease can be reduced by 50% after one year of quitting
- After 15 years of quitting, the risk of heart attack and heart disease can drop to the same level as people who have never smoked
- Cutting down on your tobacco use is key to controlling your risk of high cholesterol, stroke, heart attack, heart disease, and many other health problems.
How to quit smoking?
Talk to your health care professional or smoking cessation specialist about your options for quitting smoking:
A health care professional can prescribe medications or smoking cessation aids to help you reduce cravings and ease withdrawal symptoms
A smoking cessation specialist can provide you with a variety of resources to help you on your journey, such as referring you to a support group
You may be prescribed medications such as varenicline and bupropion. These medications can change the chemicals in your brain to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Other options can help you quit smoking by providing nicotine without the chemicals in cigarette smoke.
These options include:
- Nicotine gum
- Skin patches
- Lozenges
- Nasal sprays
Smoking and high cholesterol are a deadly combination and can have a major impact on your heart health. By quitting smoking and lowering your cholesterol, your quality of life and overall health will improve.
Conclusion
Smoking damages many important parts of your body, not just your lungs. Smoking can increase your LDL cholesterol levels and decrease your HDL cholesterol levels.
High levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood can cause plaque to build up in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
Quitting smoking can eventually lower your blood cholesterol levels to levels similar to those of people who have never smoked in their lives.
Quitting smoking is important in reducing your risk of heart disease and increasing your life expectancy. Your doctor will be able to provide you with additional resources to help you quit smoking.
