Just one cigarette a day can raise heart risk by 50%

People who are cutting down on smoking could still be at risk from potentially life threatening health conditions, claims experts. Smoking just one cigarette a day can still have a drastic effect on your overall wellbeing.

Smoking a single cigarette a day can greatly increase your risk of suffering from coronary heart disease and strokes later on in life.

The chance of people who smoke one cigarette a day of developing coronary heart disease and stroke is around half that of smokers who puff 20 a day, the researchers concluded. No safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease. Smoking should aim to quit instead of cutting down to significantly reduce their risk of these two common major disorders. The study said. 

The men who smoked one cigarette a day had  a 48% greater chance of developing coronary heart disease, with the women who smoked one cigarette a day being at even more risk, with an increased likelihood of 57%.