One cigarette a day is more dangerous than previously thought, point out researchers who found that even one cigarette increases the risk of coronary heart disease or heart attack.
The risk is half that of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, but it still exists, experts warn, reports The Guradian. The study says that it is necessary to completely cut out cigarettes instead of just reducing consumption in order to reduce the chances of cardiovascular problems.
"There is a belief that reducing cigarette consumption will dramatically reduce the chances of cardiovascular problems. This is true for cancer, but not for heart disease or heart attack," said Alan Hatchshaw, one of the researchers at the University of London.
55 official published observations and 141 studies conducted between 1946 and 2015 involving several million people were investigated. The team analyzed the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease for those who smoked one, five or 20 cigarettes a day compared to non-smokers.
The study found that men who smoke one cigarette a day have a 74 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease or heart attack, while for women, the risk is increased by 119 percent.
"The problem with cardiovascular diseases is that they affect the blood system, the heart, and they act very quickly. You only need to be exposed a little and it can have terrible consequences. That's why one cigarette a day is much more dangerous than people think. When you smoke 20 cigarettes a day the risk is of course higher, but not much higher compared to one cigarette. If you want to avoid the risk of cardiovascular diseases, you must stop smoking," said Hačkšav, Radio Sarajevo reports.
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