cardiomyopathy
the bottom line
The risk of cardiomyopathy is much greater in smokers than in nonsmokers. Smoking may bring on this disease by damaging small arteries, or the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke may damage the heart muscle directly. It's also possible that smoking increases the heart muscle's susceptibility to a virus infection that can cause cardiomyopathy.
for related effects
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The American Council on Science and Health is a consumer eduction consortium with a board of 350 physicians, scientists, and policy advisors.
