Heart Failure

Smoking and Heart Failure

Smokers who have heart failure can automatically eliminate a major source of stress on the heart by quitting.

Smoking can:

Cause erectile dysfunction
Clog arteries
Deprive you body of oxygen
Increase your blood pressure
Increase you heart rate
Cause your heart to work harder
Damage your lungs
Cause cancer

Each puff of nicotine temporarily increases the heart rate and blood pressure. It also makes the blood thicker and clumpier. This can cause already narrowed blood vessel(s) in the heart to become blocked. A blockage in the blood vessels of the heart can result in a heart attack.

How Do I Quit?

Wanting to quit is the first step in achieving this goal. At the VA we have smoking cessation programs to help you. Methods that are helpful include, the nicotine patch, medication, and/or counseling. Ask your provider if you would like to quit. They will assist you with this.

A few tips for quitting include:

Keep busy doing things that make it hard to smoke, like working in the yard, washing dishes and being more active.
Change your daily routine.
Distract yourself with other things.
Avoid people who are smoking.
Cut down or quit consuming caffeine and alcohol.
Keep reminding yourself that quitting will make you feel better.
Find a substitute to reach for instead of a cigarette. Try chewing gum or suck on sugar-free candy.
Make it known to family and friends that you need to quit smoking and could really use their support. If your husband, wife, son or daughter smokes, ask them to quit with you.
Do not give up if you have a set back.
Ask your doctor about smoking cessation programs. Also discuss using medications that can help you quit smoking.

People who quit smoking are more likely to have their heart failure symptoms improve.

Talk to your doctor and learn more about Heart Failure in these NetWellness articles:

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This article is a NetWellness exclusive. NetWellness Article

Last Reviewed: Feb 11, 2009

Ileana L Piña, MD
Professor, VA Quality Scholar
Louis Stokes VA Medical Center
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University