February is National Heart Health Month. 

Marion County Public Health reminds us of the health concerns smoking has on your heart. Smoking is one of the biggest causes of cardiovascular disease, which results in one out of every four people who smoke dying. 

Smoking can cause any number of heart health concerns like; raising triglycerides (a type of fat found in our blood), make our blood more sticky and likely to clot, lowering of HDL (the “good” cholesterol), damages cells that line our blood vessels as well as increasing the buildup of plaque in our blood vessels and thickening and narrowing of the blood vessels. 

All these blood vessel possibilities make our heart work harder and therefore, resulting in damage or death. 

To read the full article and to find out the effects of secondhand smoke on the heart use the link. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/di seases/heart-disease-stroke.html