There are so many people around us who relax smoking while drinking coffee. But did you know that this habit is harmful to your heart?
According to research by Charalambos Vlachopoulos, MD, and several other researchers from the Cardiology Department of Athens Medical School, Greece, caffeine and cigarettes consumed together can interact and produce negative effects on the heart.
The results of another study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed an increased risk of stiffness in the arteries was more likely to occur in participants who drank coffee and smoked in the same session.
The combination of coffee and cigarettes can accelerate heart damage because the nicotine content in cigarettes and caffeine in coffee can make the heart work faster, both of which can also cause hypertension.
Because the effect is the same, the caffeine in coffee and the nicotine in cigarettes work to reinforce each other. When the heart works too fast due to the effects of these two compounds, the burden it bears will increase so that over time it will be damaged quickly.
Smoking is the most important risk factor for various cases of heart and blood vessel disorders. In addition, smoking is also a risk factor for various other chronic diseases, especially cancer. In women, various toxic compounds in cigarettes can also interfere with the growth of the fetus while still in the womb.
Dangers of drinking coffee while smoking:
- Strengthen dependence due to habit factors.
- Causes high blood pressure.
When consuming coffee and cigarettes together, coffee will cause blood flow to increase, while smoking will narrow the arteries. The combination of the two can lead to the development of plaque in the arteries which makes them stiff and lose elasticity. - Causes cardiovascular disease.
Drinking coffee and smoking simultaneously can increase the stiffness of blood vessels and can increase the risk of heart disease.
Article reviewed by dr. Heri Hernawan, Sp.JP FIHA (Cardiologist and Blood Vessel Specialist at EMC Tangerang Hospital).