You all know that smoking is bad for you, but how bad? It doesn’t only cause lung disease from all the smoke you inhale. It affects your blood vessels too and most every cell in your body. Let’s dig deeper into the harms of cigarette smoking and see just how prevalent it really is.

The Many Harms of Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smoking may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Diagnosis Life summary:
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with amyloid deposits in the brain. A study in JAMA Network Open (https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.18777) looked at the content of cerebrospinal fluid in smokers (at least 10 cigarettes per day for 1 year) and nonsmokers to see if amyloid was more common in one group over the other. Those who smoked had significantly higher levels of β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42), 52.8 pg/mL vs 38.0 pg/mL. While this does not guarantee someone will develop Alzheimer’s disease in their lifetime, it does increase their risk.

Even one cigarette can increase your risk for heart disease.

Diagnosis Life summary:
There is no safe level of smoking. According to a meta-analysis of 141 prospective studies in BMJ (https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5855) studies that looked at millions of healthy men and women, even one cigarette a day can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Compared with people who never smoked, women who smoked 1 cigarette per day had a 119% increased risk for heart disease and a 46% increased risk for stroke while men who had a 74% risk for heart disease and a 30% risk for stroke. The risk is more than anyone would have expected. While cutting back on cigarette use is a good first step, it is even more important to quit the habit for good. If you or someone you know needs help to quit smoking, don’t hesitate to reach out to a healthcare provider. Also, be sure to visit SmokeFree.gov for helpful tips and advice.

Smokers may be at higher risk for stroke.

Diagnosis Life summary:
Black smokers may be at higher risk for stroke than white smokers. A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association (https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.014990) looked at the smoking habits of 4,400 black adults and followed them over 12 years. People who were actively smoking had a 6.8% risk of stroke compared to those who did not smoke, who had a 3.4% risk over that time. The amount of smoking matters too. People who smoked less than 20 cigarettes a day had 2.3 times the risk of people who never smoked, and those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes had 2.6 times the risk.

Smoking levels remain high in middle and high school students.

Diagnosis Life summary:
Traditional cigarettes were only the tip of the iceberg. Now young people are turning to vaping too. According to the Centers Disease Control and Prevention’s 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 16.5% of U.S. high schoolers and 4.5% of middle schoolers used tobacco in some form within the past 30 days. E-cigarettes accounted for 14.1% of use by high schoolers and 3.3% of middle schoolers, with 85% using flavored e-cigarettes. That’s concerning, especially given the addictive potential and the recent lung complications associated with vaping. We need to do more to educate the public about the dangers of vaping.