Dr. Ali Ismailov, a neurologist, stated that combining alcohol and smoking increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.
According to him, alcohol affects the elasticity of blood vessels, blood pressure, heart rate, liver, nervous system, and metabolism. Smoking, on the other hand, simultaneously causes vasoconstriction, impairs oxygen delivery to the blood, damages blood vessel walls, and increases the burden on the heart. This ultimately exposes the body to a state of constant stress, where blood vessels function unstablely, the heart works harder, and less oxygen reaches the tissues.
He says: “A person usually notices these symptoms through an increased heart rate, high blood pressure, headache, dizziness, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and extreme weakness the following day. Sometimes these symptoms are considered just a headache resulting from excessive alcohol consumption, but in reality, they put more stress on the heart, blood vessels, and nervous system. Therefore, the regular combination of alcohol and smoking poses a significant risk to blood vessels, as it increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, myocardial infarction, and stroke.”
The doctor warns that alcohol damages mucous membranes and enhances the effects of carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. Therefore, this combination particularly increases the risk of developing tumors in the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. This is one of the factors that is often underestimated because its consequences are not immediate but develop gradually.
He says: "Those most at risk are people with high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, liver disease, stomach disease, pancreatic disease, chronic lung disease, and anxiety disorders, as well as patients who have previously suffered a myocardial infarction or stroke. Combining alcohol and smoking regularly is extremely dangerous for them. The more frequently alcohol is consumed with cigarettes, the greater the burden on the heart, blood vessels, brain, liver, and lungs, and the greater the long-term health risks."
