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Lifestyle and high blood pressure: The practical stuff
Q. I have high blood pressure and I enjoy smoking. Will giving up really make much difference?
A. The answer is an emphatic yes! While smoking does not directly affect your blood pressure, it will cause your arteries to narrow - just as high blood pressure does. This puts you at much higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
So, if you smoke and have high blood pressure, your arteries will narrow much more quickly and your risk of a heart attack or stroke in the future is dramatically increased. Because of this, as well as for all the other effects it has on your health, it well worth giving up smoking.