America's No. 1 Killer

Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of heart disease, which is America's number one killer. About 150,000 Ameri­cans die each year from heart attacks and other forms of heart disease caused by smoking. Smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and lack of exercise are all risk factors for heart disease. Smoking alone doubles the risk of heart dis­ease. When a person smokes and has other risk factors, his or her chance of getting heart disease increases dramatically. For example, if smoking is combined with high blood pressure or high cholesterol, then the risk goes up four times. Put all three together-smoking, high blood pressure, and high choles­terol-and the risk goes up eight times. Smokers who have al­ready had one heart attack are also more likely than nonsmokers to have another attack.