Smoking decreases blood flow in the small vessels of the skin, damaging skin components, and leading to skin wrinkling and an appearance of premature aging in both men and women. Carbon monoxide, an ingredient of tobacco promotes cholesterol deposits in arteries, impairs vision and judgment, and reduces attentiveness to sounds. Cigarette smoke can cause air passages to close up and make breathing more difficult. It causes chronic inflammation or swelling in the lungs, leading to chronic bronchitis. And cigarette smoke changes the enzyme balance of the lungs, leading to destruction of lung tissue that occurs in emphysema.
Heart disease accounts for more than half of the deaths due to smoking.
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. It increases the risk of recurrence in persons who have survived a heart attack. Smoking is also a major cause of stroke. More than 2,000 deaths from stroke each year in Canada result from smoking. Smoking and the lupus patient Lupus patients must do all they can to ensure their general good health.