The President of the Turkey Anti-Smoking Association, Doç. Dr. Mustafa Aydın, stated that smoking increases the risk of heart attacks, emphasizing, “Not only smoking but also exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious threat to heart health. I must stress that smoking is the biggest enemy of the heart.”

On the occasion of World Heart Day, Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Aydın, President of the Turkey Anti-Smoking Association, made important statements highlighting that tobacco and tobacco products are among the biggest threats to heart health. He emphasized that 80% of heart and vascular diseases stem from unhealthy lifestyles, stating, “Smoking is at the forefront of this unhealthy lifestyle. The likelihood of smokers having a heart attack is five times higher than that of non-smokers. Even smoking just one cigarette a day increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, don’t dismiss it by saying, ‘I smoke a little; it won’t hurt.’”

“Smoking has many deadly consequences, such as vascular occlusion”
Drawing attention to the relationship between smoking and coronary heart diseases, Doç. Dr. Aydın noted that smokers face a greater risk of developing coronary heart disease. He assessed the results obtained since the 1950s when research on the negative health effects of smoking began, saying, “For many years, we only discussed the negative effects of smoking on the lungs. However, the truth is that smoking also has direct and serious effects on the heart. Smoking leads to many deadly consequences, such as arterial stiffness and vascular occlusion.”

“It’s not too late to quit”
Doç. Dr. Aydın pointed out the common misconception that long-term smokers cannot quit or that quitting would be pointless, saying, “This belief is very wrong. As soon as you quit smoking, your body starts to recover gradually. For example, 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and circulation return to normal, and after 8 hours, oxygen levels in the blood normalize, reducing the risk of heart attack. Within 24 hours, the body is completely cleansed of carbon monoxide. Therefore, I want to emphasize that you should quit smoking for yourself and your loved ones as soon as possible. It’s not too late to stop. As the Turkey Anti-Smoking Association, we are ready to provide information and support to anyone who is determined to quit smoking.”

Source: www.iha.com.tr
Date: 29.09.2022