Hi,

Smoking can cause a wide variety of problems throughout the body.  It particularly has severe effects on the cardiovascular system.  It damages blood vessels, which worsen athersclerosis. This greatly increases the risk of heart attack.  Also, smoking damages the lung tissue, which can cause emphysema.  The damaged lung tissue can lead to something called pulmonary hypertension.  This occurs because the right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs to get oxygen.  When the lung is damaged, the heart has to pump harder to get blood into the lungs.  This can lead to an expanded pulmonary artery, which is the main artery that transports blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. You should certainly speak with your physician regarding smoking. Quitting smoking is one of the best things one can do to improve health.

-HealthSupport