• 8/23/2006
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • staff
  • www.klastv.com

Most doctors agree that tobacco smoke, either first or second-hand, contributes to heart disease. But chewing tobacco is now considered a risk factor as well. The Eye on Health team spoke with a local cardiologist.

It’s no secret that smoking is detrimental. A number of serious medical conditions, including lung cancer and emphysema, are a result of smoking. And it’s also a risk factor for heart disease.

But if you think that your heart is safe from smokeless tobacco, Las Vegas cardiologist Robert Wesley says think again.

Dr. Wesley explained, “All forms of nicotine exposure are associated with risk. Whether you’re a non-smoker and receiving secondary smoke, or receiving nicotine through chewing tobacco, the risk is still there. And it’s substantial.”

In the case of chewing tobacco, Dr. Wesley says the cardio damage stems from the immediate absorption of nicotine through the tongue or pharynx.

“The nicotine goes immediately into circulation and causes constriction of the coronary vessels, causes instability on the walls of the vessels, leading to plaque formation,” Dr. Wesley continued.

Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women. One study says that chewing tobacco increased the risk two-fold. But kicking the habit is difficult. Even with an ever-growing body of knowledge on the detriments of tobacco use.

Dr. Wesley said, “You would think that that would be sufficient motivation in and of itself alone. But this is unfortunately a testament to the addictive nature of these products.”

The American Heart Association offers tips and information on quitting tobacco use.