Another 1.6 million women have had a stroke. Both heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular diseases, which are serious disorders of the heart and blood vessel system. Cigarette smoking is a habit that greatly increases your chances of developing cardiovascular diseases. Surprising as it may seem, smoking by women in this country causes almost as many deaths from heart disease as from lung cancer. If you smoke, you are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than a nonsmoking woman, and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.
Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke.
There is simply no safe way to smoke. The only safe and healthful course is not to smoke at all. If you now use cigarettes, you can stop. There are as many ex-smokers in this country today as there are smokers. Becoming a successful ex-smoker is what this fact sheet is all about.