How smoking is hurting hearts in Southeast Missouri

When it comes to the American Heart Association's recommended "Life's Simple 7s," Southeast Missouri residents need to pay more attention. It's as simple as that. Southeast Missouri ranks in the not-so-good category on several of the 7s, including obesity, heart health, smoking and exercise. Especially smoking.

SoutheastHEALTH Director of Cardiovascular Outreach Debbie Leoni, MSA, RN, says taking steps now to improve health status can result in a big win down the road -- a lesser chance of developing significant cardiovascular disease that can lead to other serious health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and dangerously elevated cholesterol levels.

"The No. 1 thing people can do to improve their heart health is to stop smoking," Leoni said.

Based on a Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by SoutheastHEALTH in 2019 (another assessment will be done later this year), about a quarter of people living in Cape, Bollinger and Stoddard counties self-report smoking.

This ranges from a high of 26% in Scott County, 25% in Bollinger County and 20.4% in Cape County. Farther south, the statistics only get worse. Leoni notes that 40% of SoutheastHEALTH's cardiovascular patients are smokers, compared to 19.4% statewide. Missouri also holds the dubious title of 10th highest state with smokers in the U.S.

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Particularly alarming is the fact that according to Centers for Disease Control statistics, 20.8 of Missouri's high school youth smoke. And nearly nine out of 10 cigarette smokers first try smoking by age 18.

Convincing people to give up tobacco is not easy, Leoni says. "Even after a heart attack or cardiac intervention, some people refuse to quit." She notes that therapies like patches and medications can help people get over the rough times.

Leoni says when trying to quit smoking or otherwise improve your health, "It's important to ask yourself 'why'? Your 'why' may be saving money you would spend on tobacco for a special treat. It may be having a home that is smoke-free and now your grandbabies can visit. It may be having skin that looks younger and healthier. There are so many 'why's.'"

Leoni, who offers one-on-one smoking cessation coaching, says research shows that it may take up to 30 attempts to finally quit tobacco completely. She suggests preparing ahead for situations smokers will find challenging, such as avoiding places where tobacco is easily available and locales where smoking is allowed indoors.

The benefits of quitting smoking are almost instant. In just 20 minutes, heart rate and blood pressure drop to more normal levels and with 12 hours carbon monoxide levels return to normal. By the end of one year, a former smoker's risk of coronary heart disease if half that of someone who smokes. The benefits go on and on.

"I wish people would consider quality of life and how that is impacted by smoking or other bad health decisions," she says. "Think about being able to do the things in your life that you want to accomplish and how the importance of endurance and a good cardiovascular system positively affects those plans."

Leoni leaves us with this thought: "Remember cigarettes may have been your longtime companion, but they were not your friend."