Even after a potentially lifesaving procedure like angioplasty, quitting smoking can seem like a huge hurdle.
Faced with a list of changes that might include quitting smoking and giving up some of the foods you love, it’s easy to become frustrated and even resentful. But there’s help available, and many compelling reasons to give up smoking once and for all, starting with living a longer life.
Researchers in the Netherlands followed a group of more than 800 people who had an angioplasty procedure for 30 years after to determine the benefits of smoking cessation. According to their study, which was published in the November 2013 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology, people who quit had a life expectancy that was at least two years longer than those who continued to smoke.
Granted, quitting smoking isn’t easy, says Clark Fuller, MD, director of thoracic surgery at ProvidenceSaint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. and a smoking cessation expert. “It helps if you understand the role your smoking habit played in your heart disease and the part it will continue to play if you don’t quit,” Dr. Fuller says.
Cigarette smoke is harmful to heart health because it can narrow your blood vessels and lead to plaque build-up — the reason you needed an angioplasty in the first place.
Continuing to smoke means the problem still exists, Fuller says.
Quitting Smoking After Angioplasty
Here are strategies that can help you stop smoking after you’ve had an angioplasty procedure:
Follow through with cardiac rehab. If you were referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program to improve your heart health after angioplasty, be sure to attend all of the sessions.
Your cardiac rehab team can help you identify your risk factors for a repeat blockage, including smoking, and show you ways to reduce all those risks, including help with smoking cessation.
Join a smoking cessation support group. Double up on your non-smoking efforts by joining a support group. You may be able to quit smoking on your own for the first month or so after your angioplasty procedure because you’re highly motivated, Fuller says.
But as time goes on, it can become more difficult to stay away from cigarettes. That’s when joining a smoking cessation support group may be most helpful.
Ask your doctor for smoking cessation medications. Some people find that nicotine replacement medications, whether in gum, spray, or patch form, help them with quitting smoking.
These aids work by gradually decreasing the amount of nicotine you’re getting and reducing the headaches and irritability that are likely side effects of your efforts to quit.
Be sure you know exactly how to use the medication to get the most benefit, and continue to work closely with your doctor to reach your quit-smoking goal.
Decide whether to go “cold turkey” or quit gradually. Fuller believes quitting smoking “cold turkey” is best. However, some people find it’s easier to gradually cut down on the number of times they smoke in a day, eventually getting to zero. Focus on your progress, even if it’s just going from four packs a day to two to one, says Robert Applegate, MD, a professor of cardiology and an interventional cardiologist at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C. Then go from one pack to a half-pack, and don’t give up until you’ve gone from a half to none.
Plan your “quit day.” Get out the calendar and circle a day within the next week that will be your “quit day.
” Prepare for your quit day by writing out a list of what you’ll do instead of reaching for a cigarette. Remove triggers, such as ashtrays and lighters, that will make you want to smoke.
Pick rewards you’ll allow yourself for every day that goes by without smoking.
Find ways to deal with urges.
Smoking is a habit that leaves you craving nicotine, so when you quit, be ready to experience withdrawal.
You’ll be more successful at quitting if you identify what triggers your urges to light up and develop strategies to overcome them.
Some people find that keeping their hands or their minds busy helps, whether that’s taking up a hobby or grabbing a book or a crossword puzzle.
Others find that chewing gum or sucking on a piece of candy can quell their urges.
Identify strategies that will work for you and then put your plan into action.
Remember that continuing to smoke will limit the health benefits of your angioplasty.
Putting a quitting-smoking plan into action will take the same discipline as changing your eating habits and starting an exercise plan, but better heart health and a longer life are worthy payoffs.
