In addition to being a major cause of heart disease, cancer and lung disease, smoking also is the #1 cause of PAD. Smoking even half a pack of cigarettes per day may increase the risk of PAD by 30 to 50%.
Smoking speeds the build-up of plaque in the artery walls and increases the formation of leg artery blockages. Smoking constricts blood vessels and causes the blood to clot.
As a result, smoking causes PAD to get worse faster. PAD increases the chance of having leg pain or cramping even while at rest, losing a foot or a leg due to amputation, or having a heart attack or stroke. As many as one out of two people with PAD who continue to smoke will have a heart attack or stroke or die within five years.
Reasons to quit smoking
If you have peripheral artery disease, quitting smoking may save your life and lower the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. In addition:
Your blood pressure will be lower in just a few days.
If you have diabetes, the risk of foot ulcers, eye problems, nerve damage and kidney disease will be reduced.
You will lower your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, lungs and bladder.
Within one year of quitting, your blood flow and breathing improve and your coughing and shortness of breath will reduce.