Health— Stop Smoking (NAPSA)—You probably understand smokingis a risk factor for cancer and heart disease, but you may not know how smoking affects your entire body’s circulation system. Vascular surgeons have found that people who smoke or who have smoked are morelikely to develop diseases of their arteries and veins than those who do not or have not. Veins and arteries make up the vascular system that carries lifegiving, oxygen-rich blood to all your vital organs, the brain and legs and arms. Smoking causes Keep your circulation system young: Don’t smoke. sticky plaque in veins and arteries and is a major risk factor in developing vascular diseases such as carotid artery disease (stroke), abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheralarterial disease. If you smoke or have smoked, talk with your doctor about your risk factors. If you have evidence of vascular disease, see a vascular surgeon, who has the expertise to give the best diagnosis and treatment, including medical management and noninvasive procedures. For information or to find a vascular surgeon, visit the Web site at www.VascularWeb.org.
