Cigarette smoking has been linked to many diseases including multiple cancers, cardiovascular disease and respiratory conditions.
Cancer
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death and was among the first diseases causally linked to smoking.
- Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women.
- Smoking causes acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the following areas:
- Bladder
- Cervix
- Esophagus
- Kidney
- Larynx (voice box)
- Lung
- Oral cavity
- Pancreas
- Pharynx
- Stomach
- Rates of cancers related to cigarette smoking vary widely among members of racial/ethnic groups, but are generally highest in African-American men.
Cardiovascular Disease (Heart & Circulatory System)
- Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smokers are 24 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.
- Cigarette smoking approximately doubles a person’s risk for stroke.
- Cigarette smoking causes reduced circulation by narrowing the blood vessels (arteries). Smokers are more than 10 times as likely as nonsmokers to develop peripheral vascular disease.
Respiratory Disease & Other Effects
- Cigarette smoking is associated with a tenfold increase in the risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease. About 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung diseases are attributable to cigarette smoking.
- Cigarette smoking has many adverse reproductive and early childhood effects, including an increased risk for:
- Infertility
- Low birth weight
- Preterm delivery
- Stillbirth
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Postmenopausal women who smoke have lower bone density than women who never smoked. Women who smoke have an increased risk for hip fracture than never smokers.