Two Leading Causes of Coronary Heart Disease: Smoking and Social-Isolation

talking with coworkers Esther Dyson via Compfight

I just came across a really interesting article from the Bulletproof Executive regarding a study that is slightly related to smoking. The study from 1993 tracked the health of more than 1,000 people over the course of six years in order to determine if there is a connection between social support and coronary heart disease.

It turns out that a lack of social support and/or interaction, such as from a partner, family or friends, is one of two of the leading risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) in middle-aged men.

The other leading factor?

Smoking of course!

It’s amazing to find out that being anti-social is almost as risky as smoking when it comes to CHD.

The first study wasn’t just some fluke either. The results of the first study was in question, so researchers actually did a follow-up to the study in 2004.

I can only imagine the CHD risks that a socially-isolated smoker takes.

Quit smoking (using an electronic cigarette is a great start) and spend more time with friends! You’ll live longer and healthier.

Electronic Cigarettes Can Boost Mood and Increase Memory

image courtesy of dieupham206 of Flickr

I used electronic cigarettes to help me quit smoking almost two years ago, and I haven’t had one cigarette since then. Although electronic cigarettes aren’t an official smoking cessation device approved by the FDA, I have no doubt that it will be approved soon.

According to new research, helping smokers to quit is just one of the benefits of e-smokes.

For smokers trying to quit without using a nicotine substitute, their memory decreases while their bodies adjust to the lower levels of nicotine.

As claimed by Dr. Lynne Dawkins from the University of East London, a study done on 85 smokers showed that not only did the electronic cigarette reduce the cravings of the smokers, but it also increased their mood and improved their memory.

Of course you can use any nicotine substitute to boost mood and memory when you’re trying to quit, but nothing can replicate the feeling of actually smoking, the way an electronic cigarette can.

Increase Your Chances of Quitting by Calling a Quitline


According to a study performed by the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia, telephone counseling to help smokers quit actually works. The study specifically tested how the smokers were recruited to the quitlines and how the recruitment method effected the results.

Dr. Flora Tzelepis and her colleagues found that no matter how the smokers were recruited, whether by physician referral, direct mail, phone calls, or television ads, proactive telephone counseling is beneficial.

If you’re serious about quitting smoking, think about calling a quitline. It might seem silly, or perhaps you’re a little shy, but if you want to kick this terrible addiction, give it a try.