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     Heart Attack Rate x5 Greater
     Smokers in their thirties and forties have a heart-attack rate that is five times higher than their nonsmoking peers.
     Any current smoker is at higher risk for heart disease or stroke. Although heavy smokers--particularly those who smoke high-tar cigarettes--are at highest risk, a 2002 study indicated that even light smokers (as few as three cigarettes a day for women and six for men) doubled their risk of heart attack.
     Smoking poses greater risks in women than in men. For example, in women who smoke, the risk for a heart attack is about 50% greater than in male smokers. In women over 35 who smoke, taking oral contraceptives poses special hazards by increasing their risk for heart attack and stroke well beyond their non-smoking peers.
     Quitting will rapidly reduce the risk of developing heart disease, but long-term smoking may still permanently damage arteries.
     Cigarette smoking may be directly responsible for about 62,000 deaths from heart disease each year. Smoking cigars may increase the risk of early death from heart disease, although evidence is much stronger for cigarette smoking. The damaging effects of smoking on the heart are multifold.

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