Experts pinpoint how many cigarettes you need to smoke per day to increase your risk of suffering a heart attack

You don’t need to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day to be at risk of dying from heart disease—a new study claims just having a couple can lead to seriously detrimental health implications, even after giving up. 

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Baltimore, US, looked at data from 22 separate studies which followed a total of 330,000 people for close to two decades, 19.9 years. 

The team, lead by Dr. Michael Blaha, Professor of Cardiology and Epidemiology, documented more than 125,000 deaths and 54,000 cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. 

After crunching the numbers, they concluded that even very low-intensity smoking—which they defined as between two to five cigarettes per day—was associated with a 50 per cent higher risk of heart failure and a 60 per cent higher risk of death from any cause, compared to never smoking.

The study, published in journal PLOS Medicine, also found that a person’s risk of suffering a cardiovascular event dropped most substantially in the first decade after quitting smoking, with the risk continuing to decrease over time. 

But even thirty years after smoking their last cigarette, ex-smokers still had a higher risk of a cardiovascular illness when compared to those who never smoked.

Dr Baha said that the research, which looked at the under represented demographic of ‘low-intensity’ smokers, showed that when it comes to giving up cigarettes, it’s a case of the sooner the better. 

He said: ‘This is one of the largest studies of cigarette smoking to date using the highest quality data in the cardiovascular epidemiology literature. 

‘It is remarkable how harmful smoking is—even low doses of smoking confer large cardiovascular risks. 

‘As far as behavior change, it is imperative to quit smoking as early in life as possible, as the among of time passed since complete cessation from cigarettes is more important prolonged exposure to a lower quantity of cigarettes each day.’ 

The researchers also noted that the only true way to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is to quit smoking, not just smoke less cigarettes—which echoes international guidance. 

Smoking kills around 78,000 people in the UK every year, with many more living with illnesses due to their habit.

Half of all smoking-related illness in the UK is cardiovascular, such as heart problems and stroke.

At least 15,000 heart disease deaths in the UK are attributed to smoking every year, according to the British Heart Foundation.

Dozens of studies have shown smoking is linked with heart failure — when the heart muscle does not pump blood around the body as well as it should, usually because it is too weak or stiff.

As a result, the heart cannot supply the body’s organs and tissues with the oxygen and vital nutrients it requires to work normally.

The 7,000 chemicals in tobacco — including tar and others — can damage blood vessels that supply the heart, which is thought to be behind some of the damage smoking inflicts on the organ.

The findings come just days after Daily Mail analysis of official figures revealed that seven areas in England have more smokers now than 14 years ago.

Nationally, just 9.1 per cent adults in Britain admitted to smoking last year, down from 10.5 per cent in 2023 and just a fraction of the nearly 50 per cent in the 1970s, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

But data shows that East Staffordshire has seen the greatest growth in tobacco-users, from 10.7 per cent of the population in 2012 to 17.3 per cent in 2024 – a 6.6 per cent leap.

Legal tobacco sales have fallen by 45 per cent since 2021 but the number of smokers only fell less than 1 per cent.

Repeated tax hikes on tobacco products has priced many out of the legal market, driving people who still smoke to search for cheaper alternatives.

A record 5.4million adults in the UK now vape, overtaking cigarette smokers for the first time, new figures suggest.

The government has unveiled a raft of measures aimed at cutting smoking numbers back even further, as well new plans aimed at curtailing the rise in vaping.

The latest iteration of this – the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – is currently making its way through the House of Lords.

The bill would make it illegal for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to ever buy tobacco. It also includes powers to restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of e-cigarettes.

It was signed by more than 1,200 health professionals including doctors, nurses and public health directors.