Why does smoking put me at higher risk for heart disease? i smoke half a pack of cigarettes a day. i keep hearing it puts me at a higher risk of getting heart disease. why does smoking increase my risk?

Nicotine : Nicotine increases Insulin resistance. This in turns can lead to higher sugar levels. . People with pre-diabetes or diabetes are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Many reasons: Nicotine itself is toxic to the heart, and elevates heart rate, which makes the heart work harder. It lowers the oxygen level in blood, raises carbon monoxide levels (which further steals oxygen from our cells), adds poisons such as formaldehyde into the body), and anything that damages the lungs will damage the heart as well. You don't need to know why, you need to know it does, and to stop!

Dr Killian agreed