A smoker gets more nose and throat inflammations, respiratory infections and chronic bronchitis. Cigarette smoking also has an effect on the heart and circulatory system. The carbon monoxide in the cigarette smoke increases the amount of cholesterol clogging the arteries. Smoking causes stiffness in artery walls which is harmful to the artery and increases the risk for artery rupture. A coronary spasm may occur during smoking.
Blood clots are more likely to occur in smokers than in nonsmokers.
All these conditions can lead to a heart attack. Smoking accounts for 30 percent of all heart disease deaths. Additionally, cigarette smoking accounts for 30 percent of all cancer deaths. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of many cancers, including cancer of the lips, tongue, salivary glands, mouth, larynx, esophagus, and middle and lower pharynx. Stomach cancer can be directly related to smoking, which also has been linked to cancers of the kidney's renal pelvis, uterine cervix and pancreas.