Can smoking cause high cholesterol levels?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 31-year-old male and a heavy smoker. I usually experience some issues with GERD, but when I take Esomeprazole, I feel better. Recently, however, I have been suffering from the following symptoms. During the day, I experience episodes around twice, usually while resting, which include strong or rapid heartbeats, bloating in my stomach, difficulty breathing, and sweating. These episodes typically last for about two minutes. I visited a cardiologist and underwent several tests, including thyroid hormone levels, CBC, urine tests, ECG, stress ECG, a 24-hour Holter monitor, chest X-ray, and a breathing test. All results were normal except for high cholesterol and LDL levels. These episodes now occur about once every couple of days. I am unsure what could be causing them.

Please help.

.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You should reduce your smoking, as it is contributing to the increase in cholesterol levels and your elevated heart rate. Smoking stimulates the heart due to nicotine and hydrocarbons in the smoke, which can cause your heart rate to rise significantly. The possibility of infrequent supraventricular arrhythmias cannot be ruled out based on the tests you have already had. You should have an ECG (electrocardiogram) performed immediately when you experience an episode. If the incidents are recurrent, you may need to use a loop recorder or event recorder to diagnose any arrhythmias.

I hope this helps you.

Thank you.