Disease Risk with Smoking
My name is William Conway, MD. I am a general internist with a subspecialty in addiction medicine. I have practiced addiction medicine since 2012. My current addiction treatment practice is Suboxone+Primary Care™ in Nashville. My current practice of general internal medicine is Nashville Concierge Medicines. Indeed, tobacco use in Tennessee is unfortunately higher than the national average. Nonetheless, the State of Tennessee leverages high taxes on tobacco.
Over the years, I’ve cared for countless patients whose health has been deeply affected by smoking. Cigarettes remain one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death in the United States. But there is good news: Quitting is associated with important health benefits at any age.
One truth I’ve seen again and again: Smoking is one of the greatest threats to human health. Cigarettes are legal, widely available, generally socially acceptable, and incredibly addictive — yet they remain the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. The encouraging news is that quitting, at any stage, is associated with health benefits that start almost immediately and continue for years.
This article will outline the risks smoking poses to your heart and lungs, as well as cancer risk, while also showing how quitting can dramatically change your health outlook.
Executive Summary
- Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and lung disease — the three leading smoking-related illnesses.
- Quitting at any stage lowers your risk, often faster than you might expect.
- Within a year of quitting, research shows the risk of heart attack can drop by 50%.
- Over time, your cancer and lung disease risks also fall, although some damage may remain.
- The safest long-term choice is complete abstinence from smoking and nicotine use. Support, treatment, and medical guidance from a licensed practitioner make quitting easier and more successful.
Heart Disease Risk
Smoking is one of the strongest independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of different chemicals. These chemicals damage blood vessels, promote inflammation, and lower oxygen delivery throughout the body. Nicotine itself, as a stimulant, raises heart rate and blood pressure, putting extra strain on the cardiovascular system.
This combination leads to something called atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This increases the likelihood of blood clots and reduces blood flow to the heart and brain. Together, these changes mean that smokers have much higher rates of:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Peripheral artery disease
- Sudden cardiac death
As Dr. Conway explains to patients at Suboxone+Primary Care™ in
Nashville, the cardiovascular system begins to heal as soon as
smoking stops.
The Reduction of Risk by Quitting
The cardiovascular system responds quickly once smoking stops. The benefits of quitting show up quickly:
- 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and heart rate begin to drop.
- 1 year after quitting, the risk of heart disease can be reduced by about half compared to someone who continues smoking.
- 15 years after quitting, the risk may approach that of someone who never smoked.
Cancer Risks from Smoking
Cigarette smoke contains over 70 known carcinogens. These chemicals damage DNA and interfere with the body’s repair systems, notably normal cell repair. The risk of cancer grows slowly at first, but over time, repeated exposure allows damaged cells to grow uncontrollably. This leads to tumors. After decades of smoking, research indicates the risk of cancer can be up to 30 times higher than that of a non-smoker.
The most common smoking-related cancer is lung cancer, which causes more deaths than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. But smoking also linked to cancers of the:
- Lung (by far the most common)
- Mouth and throat
- Esophagus
- Pancreas
- Bladder
- Kidney
- Stomach
- Cervix
Dr. Conway counsels patients at his Nashville Suboxone+Primary
Care™ clinic that cancer risks fall steadily once smoking ends.
Risk Reduction After Quitting
The body begins repairing itself once exposure to carcinogens stops. Although some risks remain elevated for life, quitting leads to steady and meaningful improvements. Quitting lowers the risk of cancer steadily over time. Consider the following:
- The risk of lung cancer drops by 30–50% within 10 years of quitting.
- Risks for other cancers (like mouth, throat, bladder, and esophagus) can decline by about 50% within 5 years.
- The cardiovascular system responds especially quickly once smoking stops:
- Within 20 minutes: Heart rate and blood pressure begin to normalize.
- Within 24 hours: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal, allowing oxygen to circulate more effectively.
- Within 1 year: The risk of heart attack and stroke is half that of those who continue smoking.
- Within 15 years: Risk levels may approach those of someone who has never smoked.
Lung Disease from Smoking
Cigarette smoke is especially and uniquely destructive to the lungs. The inhaled toxins cause chronic inflammation and directly damage the airways and alveoli (the tiny air sacs of the lungs). Over time, this leads to something called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD includes chronic bronchitis (airway inflammation with excessive mucus production) and emphysema (destruction of lung tissue, especially the alveoli).
Smokers are also more prone to recurrent infections. This is due to damaged airways (which are often the first line of defense against an illness) and overall immune system suppression. Infections like pneumonia and bronchitis are more common in smokers, and smoking worsens existing conditions like asthma.
In his Nashville concierge medicine practice, Dr. Conway has seen patients breathe easier and experience fewer infections within months of quitting.
The Quit Pathway for Lung Disease
While some lung damage cannot be reversed, quitting can slow further decline. Quitting may slow COPD progression and improve quality of life. Consider that:
- Within a few weeks of quitting, coughing and shortness of breath often improve as airway irritation decreases.
- Within 2 to 3 months of quitting, lung function begins to improve.
- Over the first year of being smoke-free, coughing and shortness of breath often decrease.
Conclusion
Smoking raises the risk of heart disease, cancer, and lung disease — but quitting can significantly reduce those risks. And the benefits of quitting start right away and grow over time. Whether you’ve smoked for one year or forty, it’s never too late to reclaim your health. The sooner you stop, the more your body has an opportunity to heal. Even if you’ve smoked for many years, your health can begin to improve once you quit in Nashville.
📌 The bottom line: Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health and help extend your life. You don’t have to do it alone — proven treatments and medical support are available.
Dr. Conway provides medical guidance, counseling, and proven treatment options to help patients in Nashville quit smoking successfully at Nashville Concierge Medicines.
Call to Action
If you’re ready to start your quit journey, I can help you find the right tools and support.
👉 Call 615-708-0390 | Office & Telemedicine Appointments at Suboxone+Primary Care™ in Nashville
