Smoking damages blood vessels, warns Pune vascular specialist as diabetes cases rise

Dr Santosh Patil, a vascular specialist at Apollo Spectra Hospital in Pune, has warned that the number of patients with vascular diseases may rise further in the coming years, as the number of diabetes patients in the country is growing. According to him, diabetes, high blood pressure, genetic factors and smoking are counted among the main causes of these diseases.

Dr Patil said vascular diseases affect the blood vessels that carry blood to different parts of the body. He said this is becoming a growing health problem. Among the causes, smoking is both common and preventable. People who smoke face a higher risk of vascular disease than those who do not. According to Dr Patil, smoking can damage blood vessels and affect the flow of blood in the body.

He said tobacco smoke contains many harmful chemicals. These can damage the inner lining of blood vessels, which can cause inflammation or irritation in the body and raise the risk of blood clots.

According to Dr Patil, continued exposure to tobacco smoke can weaken or damage the walls of blood vessels. This can narrow them or block them, and the blood reaching different parts of the body may gradually decline as a result.

On diabetes, Dr Patil said it is also an important risk factor for vascular diseases. If blood sugar stays high for a long time, blood vessels and nerves can be damaged, raising the risk of problems related to blood flow. Diabetes is spreading very fast in India, which is why the country is often called the diabetes capital of the world. Dr Patil said that if diabetes and other risk factors are not kept under proper control, vascular diseases are likely to increase in the next few years.

Dr Patil said diabetes and vascular diseases are closely linked. As diabetes patients increase, it has become even more important to identify vascular problems early. He stressed the need to keep diabetes, blood pressure and other risk factors under control.

On high blood pressure, he said it puts constant extra pressure on the walls of blood vessels, which can damage them over time. A family history of such diseases or genetic factors can also raise a person's risk of vascular problems. If a person has more than one risk factor, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking, the overall risk of vascular disease can rise further.

Dr Patil said symptoms should not be ignored, including pain or heaviness in the legs while walking, cold feet, numbness or tingling in the feet, changes in skin colour, or wounds that take longer to heal. These symptoms can be signs of vascular problems.

According to Dr Patil, it is essential to keep blood sugar and blood pressure under control, maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active on a regular basis and stop smoking completely. He urged people to follow his advice and adopt a healthy lifestyle to keep their blood vessels healthy.