Quitting smoking can seem like a huge hurdle

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.