Smoking as Few as Two Cigarettes Daily Boosts Heart Disease Risk, Study Finds
A recent study published in PLOS Medicine reveals that smoking just two to five cigarettes daily significantly increases the risk of heart disease and early death. The research, led by the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Regulation and Addiction Center, involved over 320,000 adults. It shows that even low levels of smoking cause substantial cardiovascular damage, and complete cessation is the only way to reverse these risks.
New research has dismantled the long-held belief that smoking less means less harm. Scientists now say the body suffers significant cardiovascular damage from even low levels of smoking. The study, analyzing data from 22 long-term health studies, indicates that smoking even a few cigarettes a day sharply raises the risk of heart disease and early death, with quitting entirely being the only solution to reverse these risks.
Researchers from the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Regulation and Addiction Center analyzed data from 22 long-term health studies involving over 320,000 adults. The findings show that current smokers had more than double the risk of dying from any cause compared to people who never smoked. Those who smoked just two to five cigarettes a day had double the chance of developing heart disease.
According to the study,