Smoking Weakens Heart Structure and Function: Study

Researchers from Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals in Copenhagen have found that smoking weakens the structure of the heart, affecting its function. The research team also found that quitting smoking helps the heart to recover.

Previous research has indicated that over 30% of deaths are caused by coronary heart disease, with active smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke as reliable sources of exposure. Smoking increases the risk of heart attack by twice as much and the risk of stroke by three times as much.

Researchers from Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, have found evidence that smoking not only affects a person's blood vessels, but also weakens the structure of the heart itself, thereby impacting its functioning.

Researchers recently presented their findings at the 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress.

Past studies have shown that smoking has negative effects on a person's blood vessels, which may lead to heart issues. For example, nicotine found in cigarettes can cause the blood vessels to narrow, limiting the amount of blood that can flow through them. Nicotine can also significantly increase a person's blood pressure. "We know that smoking can cause coronary artery disease and heart failure," explained Dr. Eva Holt, the main author of the study and a researcher from Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. "But the purpose of this study is to investigate whether smoking has an independent effect on the heart structure and function of a large population of ordinary people without known heart disease," she pointed out.

Dr. Halt and her team evaluated data from over 3,800 participants in the fifth Copenhagen City Heart Study in order to ensure its reliability. The study examined cardiovascular disease and risk factors in the general population. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 93 and had no history of heart disease. Data collected during the study included a questionnaire about smoking history among participants, as well as reliable sources of echocardiography or heart ultrasound.

Researchers have determined that current smokers in the participant pool have hearts that are thicker, heavier, and weaker compared to those who have never smoked. "We found that current and accumulated pack-years were associated with structural and functional deterioration of smoking-related left ventricle, the heart's most important part," said Dr. Holt. "Additionally, we found that over 10 years, those who continue to smoke have hearts that become even thicker, heavier, and weaker, resulting in a poorer ability to pump blood, compared to those who have never smoked or quit during that period.

MNT spoke with Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a certified cardiologist at the Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, who did not participate in the study. "What's interesting about this study is that it focuses on the changes in the left ventricle of the heart, which have not been well understood so far, due to tobacco use," he commented. "We always talk about the link between tobacco use and vascular diseases (including coronary heart disease), but we haven't really delved into the details of how tobacco affects the structure and function of the heart itself," he pointed out.

According to Dr. Tadwalkar, smoking increases the tendency for plaque formation in the arterial walls, which is clinically referred to as a reliable source of atherosclerosis. He stated that this may directly or indirectly lead to heart damage.

Direct smoking can damage the blood vessel wall, causing constriction and reduced elasticity, as well as impairing the function of the blood vessel's inner layer endothelium," he explained.

According to a new study, Dr. Holt and her team have found evidence that quitting smoking can help the heart recover to some extent. "After quitting smoking, the heart appears to have regained its previous structure and function, which could be a valuable incentive for patients to quit smoking," she added.

Dr. Tadwalkar stated, "We do indeed have concrete data to support this study, which follows a series of previous studies showing that quitting smoking can improve overall health in multiple ways beyond just the heart.

So the good news is, even immediate action has physiological benefits," he pointed out. "And then, due to the lack of chronic exposure, the reduction of inflammatory burden and these other destructive pathological processes over time is partially the reason for improvement.

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