ISLAMABAD: According to a recent study, smoking thickens the heart wall and reduced pumping ability, while it also leads to an increased risk of heart failure, even in individuals without cardiovascular disease. In an attempt to produce a clearer picture, a team of researchers recently examined the hearts of thousands of individuals from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. However, the mechanism by which tobacco damages the heart and causes cardiovascular events has not been found. Imaging studies examining changes in heart structure associated with smoking have been carried out; however, to date, the results have been conflicting. Certain health factors can increase the heart’s workload and, consequently, the thickness of the left ventricle wall (left ventricle hypertrophy); these factors include some heart conditions and high blood pressure. Left ventricular hypertrophy is known to result in a loss of cardiac function, which can lead to complications that include an interruption to the blood supply of the heart, arrhythmia, and stroke. To ensure the results were only charting the interaction between smoking and cardiac events, the investigators accounted for multiple factors within their analysis, including race, age, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, and alcohol consumption. However, the news was not all bad. According to Dr Scott Solomon, senior study author and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, “Former smokers had similar heart structure and function compared with never smokers.” In other words, after quitting smoking, the heart seems able to bring itself back within normal, safe parameters. The study brings to the fore yet another stark message regarding the dangers of smoking tobacco. On the other hand, it gives smokers who are considering quitting another reason to keep trying. It is a difficult habit to kick, but once the cycle has been broken, the heart can heal. Meanwhile, another study has suggested that anxiety can be mitigated by breathing exercises. However, it is also important to know the correct techniques when it comes to breathing exercises.