How long does it take for your heart to heal after quitting smoking?
Research published in the academic journal JAMA Network followed 5.8 million people in South Korea to understand how long it takes for the heart to recover after a person stops smoking.
Research shows that smokers and those who have suffered the cumulative effects of smoking for many years before deciding to quit will take five to 10 years for their hearts to return to the normal state of non-smokers.
It takes up to 25 years for heavy and regular smokers to heal their hearts after quitting smoking.
This study shows why we need to quit smoking early, said Dr Ambuj Roy, Professor of Cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS Delhi).
The results show that the effects of smoking remain in your body long after you quit and still put you at risk of having a heart attack.
The residual effects of smoking still pose health risks until the body has completely eliminated them.
How does smoking affect heart health?
Smoking is known to cause inflammation in the body, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, says Dr Balbir Singh, Department of Cardiology, Max Hospital (Saket, New Delhi, India).
Smoking can damage the walls of blood vessels, causing them to constrict. It also increases heart rate and blood pressure, putting stress on the heart. Smoking can lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol, and raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol, along with triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
In particular, smoking can thicken your blood, creating conditions for a heart attack.
Dr Balbir Singh said that when you stop smoking, your blood will release nicotine and carbon monoxide and oxygen will reach your heart and muscles more easily.
“It can take a few months or longer for your lungs to heal, clearing mucus, tar, dust, and you tend to feel short of breath or wheeze. This usually settles within a year and you may find that you breathe easier,” explains Dr. Singh.
However, during this period of neutralization, people need to take care of other comorbidities. In particular, ex-smokers must eat properly, avoid preventable risk factors such as obesity, and keep blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels low.
