Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Smoking is a deadly habit to maintain, literally. Smoking along with other contributing factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol can cause chronic diseases. One disease that has been the leading cause of death of men and women in the United States is cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease has many contributing factors, but smoking itself poses a high risk of contracting the disease. Non-smokers must also pay attention to the air they breathe because the smoke around you can kill you! What is heart disease? Many of us at a young age believe that heart disease can only affect “older” people. The truth is that heart disease needs to be considered when a person is young, how a person takes care of their body inside and out will determine what diseases are in store in later life. For example, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 42% of all deaths in the United States (healingwithnutrition.com), and smoking is one of the largest contributing factors to this terrible disease. Cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death of Americans. thirty-five and older (healingwithnutrion.com)! Who says you have to be old to have heart disease? According to the 2003 General Household Survey conducted by the Office of National Statistics, forty-five percent of Americans between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-nine smoke the highest percentage of all age groups. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) include dysfunctional conditions...