How much life does one cigarette harm?

Smoking a cigarette shortens life expectancy by about 11 minutes on average. The impact of smoking on life span is mainly related to factors such as nicotine toxicity, tar deposition, carbon monoxide binding, vascular damage, and DNA mutations.

1. Nicotine toxicity:

Nicotine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure by activating sympathetic nerves, and long-term stimulation can accelerate myocardial cell apoptosis. Vasoconstriction can last for 30 minutes after a single smoking session. People who smoke 20 cigarettes a day increase their risk of coronary heart disease by 2-4 times.

2. Tar deposition:

More than 40 carcinogens such as benzopyrene in tar directly damage the cilia of the respiratory tract. Each cigarette smoked will deposit 1-2 mg of tar in the lungs. Long-term accumulation can cause chronic bronchitis, and the incidence of lung cancer in smokers is 15-30 times that of non-smokers.

3. Carbon monoxide combination:

The binding capacity of carbon monoxide produced by cigarette burning to hemoglobin is 240 times that of oxygen, causing the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity to decrease by 5%-10%. Myocardial hypoxia may induce angina, and smoking in pregnant women is more likely to cause fetal growth retardation.

4. Vascular endothelial injury:

Free radicals in tobacco can damage vascular endothelial cells and promote the deposition of low-density lipoprotein to form arterial plaque. The incidence of peripheral vascular disease in smokers is three times higher than that of ordinary people, and the risk of arteriosclerosis in the lower limbs is doubled.

5. Risk of DNA mutagenesis:

Each cigarette smoked produces about 100 billion free radicals, causing 50-100 abnormal DNA replications in bronchial epithelial cells. The accumulation of p53 tumor suppressor gene mutations may induce laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer and other malignant tumors.

The body's recovery after quitting smoking has an obvious time effect: heart rate and blood pressure begin to fall 20 minutes after stopping smoking, and blood oxygen returns to normal within 12 hours.； The risk of coronary heart disease is reduced by 50% after 1 year, and the risk of lung cancer can be reduced to the level of non-smokers after 10 years. It is recommended to improve withdrawal symptoms through nicotine replacement therapy combined with aerobic exercise. Daily intake of citrus fruits and cruciferous vegetables rich in vitamin C can help eliminate free radicals. Establishing a smoke-free environment and cultivating new interests and hobbies have a positive effect on preventing relapse. If necessary, you can seek psychological and behavioral intervention support from professional smoking cessation clinics.