World Anti-Tobacco Day: Indians need to be especially wary of smoking

On the occasion of the WHOs lsquoWorld No Tobacco Dayrsquo doctors at Asian Heart Institute share their knowledge on the threats of tobacco to ones heart and suggest measures to reduce the consumption of heart diseases posed by tobaccoThe World Health Organisationrsquos WHO research states that tobacco causes almost 3 million deaths from Cardiovascular diseases every year on a worldwide scale While tobacco usage is known to be the leading single preventable cause of deaths worldwide developing countries like India tend to be increasingly prone to this threatIndia accounts for 60 of the worlds heart disease burden despite having less than 20 of the worlds population The Indian Heart Association has identified a reduction in smoking as a significant target of cardiovascular health prevention effortsTobacco Consumption and Cardiovascular healthTobacco consumption is known to reduce the oxygen flow to the heart raise blood pressure speed up the heart rate and increase the risks of blood clotsShares Dr Ramakanta Panda cardiovascular thoracic surgeon and vice chairman Asian Heart Institute ldquoThe lining of the blood vessels of the heart can be damaged through the chemicals in cigarette smoke leading to inflammation and narrowing of the vessels This in turn increases the chances of angina a heart attack or a strokerdquoWorldwide research suggests that a persons chance of heart disease increases with the number of cigarettes they smoke and the number of years they have smoked If you have a pack of cigarettes a day your risk of having a heart attack is four times than that of someone who doesnrsquot smokeldquoWomen who take birth control pills and smoke cigarettes increase their risk of heart attack stroke and peripheral vascular disease greatly On smoking tobacco the people around you are at risk of having health problems too This is especially true for childrenrdquo adds Dr Santosh Kumar Dora Consultant Cardiology and Electrophysiology Asian Heart Institute The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC asserts that even briefly breathing secondhand smoke can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause the blood to become stickier thus resulting in a deadly heart attackldquoIndians need to be especially wary of smoking as we genetically have smaller arteries as compared to our Western counterparts Smoking is also one of the major risk factors for multivessel coronary diseaserdquo cautions Dr PandaDespite the common understanding smoking bidis or tobacco cigarettes with lower levels of tar or nicotine does not curb the risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseasesHere are a few tips to end tobacco addictionAnalysing the possible triggers that cause you to consume tobacco Mindfulness helps tackle addiction more effectivelyIdentifying a more personalised reason to stop smoking tobacco like that of protecting your children from passive smoking or in order to look or feel youngerDespite the common belief that eventually decreasing the number of cigarettes will help you quit smoking tobacco you need to stop instantly and completely or it will never happenPlenty of support may be needed when you decide to kick this addiction For this involve your family and friends who can encourage you to stay the pathConsulting a doctor for help who can recommend methods that will be helpful Nicotinereplacement therapy nicotine gum or lozenges or patches medications counselling support groupsApart from smoking tobacco find other ways to relax like listening to music connecting with friends who do not consume tobacco in any formDistract yourself with work and timelines or find yourself a new hobbyExercise regularly This can help curb the craving for nicotine and can also help reduce symptoms of withdrawal Exercising will also assist in avoiding weight gain as you quit smokingTobacco consumption related statistics in India according to the WHOs 2018 factsheetIn India Tobacco kills more than 1 million people each year accounting to 95 of all deaths449844 Cardiovascular CVD deaths in India are caused by tobacco use which accounts for 16 of all CVD deaths each yearThe most common way tobacco kills is from CVDs accounting for 48 tobaccoinduced deaths in IndiaMost people start early increasing the risk of heart disease in young people The mean age at initiation of daily smoking remains as low as 187 yearsThe highest amount of deaths caused by tobacco occurs between age groups 3044 years reaching up to a 26 high in this age groupThe percentage of people who quit tobacco use is as low as 168 Former daily smokers and 58 Former daily smokeless users2688 million current tobacco users and a substantial number of people exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of CVDsTobacco is thus often referred to as the lsquoGolden Leaf especially in developing countries like India due to the enormous amount of distribution According to the Centers for Disease Control and Healthrsquos office the risk of Cardiovascular Disease increases with the amount of tobacco consumed in a day especially over its continuation over several yearsTobacco control is thus essential for preventing and controlling deaths and disability caused by CVDsThe Tobacco quitterrsquos timeline to a healthier heart as suggested by World Health OrganisationWithin 20 mins of quitting tobacco your heart rate and blood pressure drop to normalWithin 12 hours the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normalIn about 212 weeks blood circulation improves leading to increased lung functioningWithin 19 months symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath decreasesIn a yearrsquos time the risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of smokersIn 10 years your risk of cancer falls to about half compared to that of a smokers risk of cancerIn about 15 years the risk of coronary heart disease is as low as that of a nonsmoker Dr Ramakanta PandaCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday 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