Smoking’s Secret Weapon: Vascular Poison in Every Puff

Smoking’s Secret Weapon: Vascular Poison in Every Puff

Smoking’s Secret Weapon: Vascular Poison in Every Puff

In this high-voltage episode of Cracking Addiction,

Dr  Ferghal Armstrong delivers a powerful reminder: cardiovascular disease is the most immediate risk of smoking—not just lung cancer years down the line.

Even minimal exposure—whether a couple of cigarettes a day or inhaling secondhand smoke—is enough to trigger endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, thrombosis, and lipid imbalances that accelerate life-threatening atherosclerosis.

Dr  Armstrong breaks down the mechanisms: smoking impairs your artery lining, stiffens your vessels, raises blood pressure, and encourages plaque buildup and rupture.

It triggers systemic inflammation via cytokines like IL‑6 and TNF‑α, elevates CRP, activates platelets, and creates a hypercoagulable state—making clots cling and resist dissolution. Oxidized LDL fuels foam cell formation, and carbon monoxide starves tissues of oxygen, forcing your heart to work harder against all odds.

He then lays out the devastating cardiovascular outcomes: from coronary heart disease and stroke to aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease, sudden cardiac death, and accelerated heart failure. Secondhand smoke is nearly as lethal, impairing coronary flow and increasing event risk by up to 30% after just half an hour of exposure.

But here’s the saving grace: cardiovascular harm reverses fast when you stop. Your heart attack risk begins dropping within 24 hours, halved by one year, and can approach that of a non‑smoker over time—which Dr Armstrong calls a “powerful motivator.”

He ties it all together with clinical guidance: view smoking as a vascular poison, assess second‑hand smoke when evaluating cardiovascular risk, monitor key markers (lipids, CRP, ECGs), and deliver birch‑clear cessation messages like, "quitting today cuts your heart attack risk in half within a year."

If you're looking for a video that’s evidence-packed, urgent, and deeply motivating to help you or your loved ones quit smoking—this episode is a tailored wake‑up call.

Avsnitt(218)

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines

In episode 58 of Cracking Addiction we discuss the pharmacology of benzodiazepines and their interaction with the GABA-A receptor, the different types of benzodiazepines and their different half lives and effects, discuss how to calculator benzodiazepine dose equivalence, the increased risks of benzodiazepine overdose when compared with other medications especially with opioid medications and the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of benzodiazepines.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

21 Sep 202221min

Lifestyle Medicine in Addiction

Lifestyle Medicine in Addiction

In today's episode of Cracking Addiction we are joined by Dr Sam Manger the President of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and host of the GP Show podcast who discusses lifestyle interventions in substance use disorders. Lifestyle interventions can be safe and efficacious interventions and there is a growing evidence base for certain lifestyle interventions in some substance use disorders. For further information on lifestyle interventions in substance use disorders please read our journal article on this topic at: https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2022/august/lifestyle-interventions-for-substance-use-disorderThe GP Show podcast and other lifestyle medicine resources: https://thegpshow.comDiscussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

14 Sep 202228min

Methamphetamine relapse prevention

Methamphetamine relapse prevention

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss relapse prevention strategies with regards to methamphetamine use and discuss harm reduction strategies, how to avoid a lapse becoming a relapse, the Matrix Model, motivational intervention and contingency management. We also discuss the importance of peer support programs in aiding people on their path to recovery from substance use disorder and discuss the evidence surrounding pharmacotherapy interventions for methamphetamine use disorder.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

7 Sep 202217min

Methamphetamine withdrawal

Methamphetamine withdrawal

In this Episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss the three phases of methamphetamine withdrawal, strategies to manage the methamphetamine withdrawal including possible medication options and the ongoing psychosocial support required to support patients during methamphetamine withdrawal. Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle. Latest Blogs https://www.meducate.com.au/blogs About Meducate ® Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public. See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

31 Aug 202217min

Methamphetamine and amphetamines

Methamphetamine and amphetamines

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we mainly speak about methamphetamines but also amphetamines and discuss the amphetamine class of drugs and their physiological effects, the different types of methamphetamines, symptoms of intoxication with amphetamines, side effects of methamphetamine and amphetamines including the various organ systems they impact and in particular the potential psychological and psychiatric harms and focus on drug induced psychosis. Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

24 Aug 202223min

Living with Addiction

Living with Addiction

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we are privileged to have Steven McDonald who discusses his lived experience with addiction and his path towards recovery. Steven speaks openly and honestly about his past history and his experiences. Steven has written a book 'Thanks for Letting Me Share' which is a book of 368 quotes that have helped him along his journey. The book is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BCG67JK/ and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Thanks-for-Letting-Me-Share-book-102078078856382Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

16 Aug 202236min

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, the various theories surrounding the pathophysiology of cannabis hyperemesis, treatment of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, diagnostic criteria for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome and discuss the other potential differential diagnoses of cyclic vomiting symptoms and how cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is often a diagnosis of exclusion.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

10 Aug 202216min

Synthetic cannabis

Synthetic cannabis

In this episode of Cracking Addiction we discuss the variety within the class of synthetic cannabinoids, symptoms of synthetic cannabis intoxications, side effects and complication of synthetic cannabis usage and specific considerations in withdrawal management.Discussions and comments in our videos are for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice of your medical professional. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment or lifestyle.Latest Blogshttps://www.meducate.com.au/blogAbout Meducate ®Meducate provides online education for doctors, clinicians, health professionals and the public.See the website to browse the many different talks and courses available https://www.meducate.com.au

3 Aug 202214min

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