Health news and articles

Quit smoking, a person reduces the risk of heart disease by 14%

a year after people stop smoking in the state of his arteries is significantly improved.

Positive changes are taking place, even if a former smoker, give up bad habits and gained about 4 extra pounds. In addition, a person returning to normal levels of so-called good cholesterol.

The discovery was made on the results of research conducted by staff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA), reported Kompyulenta. One and a half thousands of smokers to quit smoking offered by any of five ways: by using nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges, the drug bupropion (sold under the name “Wellbutrin” and “Zyban”), a combination of patches and lozenges, a combination of medicines and lollipop. The sixth group of participants received placebo pills.

After a year on cigarettes have forgotten 36% of the subjects, and helped them different ways. Before starting the study and one year after the refusal of the subjects of smoking doctors performed an ultrasound test vessels of patients. Test results shed light on how elastic the lining of blood vessels, and how they cope with the blood flow (hardening of the arteries – is the first step towards the development of heart disease).

A year after the subjects stopped smoking, the functions of arteries, they have improved by 1%. Although this figure seems negligible, it indicates that the risk of heart disease in participants declined by 14%.

The study will continue for another two years – scientists want to find out how to improve the state of vessels in the subjects a few years after smoking cessation.