Nana Patekar was once a smoker: How smoking affects heart
What's the story
Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away on Thursday at the age of 75 due to a massive cardiac arrest. Did you know that he was a chain smoker until he quit at 56? He once revealed that he used to smoke up to 60 cigarettes a day! We know that smoking can adversely affect our body, but can quitting smoking actually reverse years of damage to the heart? Let's find out.
Health impact
Chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage blood vessels
Smoking is a major preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage blood vessels, increase blood pressure, and make blood more prone to clotting.
Long-term smoking can also lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
However, quitting smoking can significantly reduce these risks over time.
Recovery process
But recovery begins soon after quitting
However, the good news is that the body starts to recover soon after quitting smoking.
As per Free Press Journal, within 20 minutes, heart rate and blood pressure can begin to move toward healthier levels.
Over the next few months and years, circulation and lung function improve while cardiovascular disease risk declines gradually.
This means that coronary heart disease risk drops by 50% compared to someone who still smokes.
Permanent changes
Limitations to consider
But quitting smoking does not erase every effect of years of smoking.
If significant damage has already been done to the arteries or heart, some changes may be permanent.
The extent of recovery depends on factors such as how long and how heavily a person smoked, their age, existing health conditions, and other lifestyle habits.
Meanwhile, Patekar's last rites will be held in Pune on Thursday evening.