Your chances of getting a heart attack increases by threefold if you smoke. This is because smoking promotes the hardening of the arteries and reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Women are not spared from this problem. A study published in 1987 which looked into the smoking habits of 119,404 nurses aged 30 to 55 for years found that those who smoked 25 or more cigarettes a day were more than five times as likely to have heart disease.

Those who smoked between one and four cigarettes a day doubled their risk of heart disease. The odds of getting a heart attack increases in the presence of other factors like high blood pressure and in those who use oral contraceptives.

“Perhaps the single most important of the controllable risk factors for heart disease is cigarette smoking. Smokers tend to have lower levels of the protective HDL-cholesterol. Smoking’s effect on the health of your heart and blood vessels goes beyond its effects on cholesterol levels, however. Smoking appears to damage the arteries, making it easier for cholesterol and other debris to accumulate and clog the arteries that supply your heart with blood,” said the editors of Consumer Guide’s “Cholesterol: Your Guide for A Healthy Heart.”

“Smoking is also considered to be the major risk factor for sudden cardiac death. Indeed, smokers have two to four times the risk of sudden cardiac death of non-smokers. A smoker who has a heart attack is also more likely to die from that heart attack,” they added.

Other problems associated with smoking are the following:

Osteoporosis – The thinning of the bones due to calcium loss is common among female smokers. The decrease of the calcium content of the bones can lead to fractures, disability, and death.

Although the exact cause of osteoporosis is unknown, researchers believe it is caused by low levels of the female hormone estrogen. This is more likely to occur in menopausal women and in those who smoke since this habit promotes the early arrival of the menopause.

Impotence – If you have fewer erections, blame it on smoking. Heavy cigarette smoking damages the arteries that supply blood to the pelvis and the penis. It also limits the amount of blood needed for erections to take place. Thus, smoking won’t make you attractive to women. Contrary to what those television ads say, you’re likely to end up impotent!

“Autopsy studies of heavy smokers show that the small arterioles in the penis are universally narrowed, scarred, and no longer retain the elasticity needed to expand. In contrast, the small penile blood vessels of nonsmokers are normal. This is true for both young and old men alike,” according to Dr. Richard F. Spark, associate clinical professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School in “Male Sexual Health (A Couple’s Guide).”

“It is no longer necessary to rely solely on anatomic specimens to demonstrate the negative impact of cigarettes on male sexual function. The same information can be obtained by examining the smoking habits of men enrolled in impotence clinics. In two separate surveys, cigarette smokers among impotent men were two times higher than in the normal male population. Over 58 percent of impotent men were active smokers, and 81 percent admitted to heavy cigarette use in the past,” said Spark, a member of the International Society for Impotence Research and the American Fertility Society.

How many cigarettes do you have to smoke before becoming impotent? The exact number in humans is not known but dogs exposed to the smoke of only two cigarettes experienced impaired sexual function. Men who smoke packs or fractions of packs of cigarettes a day are in danger of suffering from the same fate. (Next: Smoking and wrinkles.)

Since smoking cause wrinkles, quit now before you destroy your face. One product that can help is the Rejuvinol AM/PM Botox Alternative Age-Defying System. This anti-aging system has two powerful components: the Rejuvinol morning moisturizer that creates firmer, healthier, and younger-looking skin; and the Rejuvox night cream that reduces fine lines and wrinkles. For more information, go to http://www.rejuvinol.com/.