Benefits of quitting smoking after a heart attack

If you’ve had a heart attack and you smoke, becoming smokefree is one of the most important things you can do for your recovery. Quitting reduces your risk of another heart attack and lowers your risk of early death from heart disease.

Quitting smoking after a heart attack

If you stopped smoking while you were in hospital, then you’ve already started to protect your heart. Staying smokefree after you go home is one of the best ways to support your recovery. Getting support can help make it easier to keep going.  

If you haven’t yet been able to quit, or you stopped and started smoking again, don’t give up. Many people need several tries before they quit for good.  

It’s never too late to stop smoking. Quitting at any stage after a heart attack improves your health and reduces your risk of another heart attack or early death from heart disease.

Why should I quit now?

Quitting smoking after a heart attack can reduce your risk of having another heart attack by about half. People who quit smoking after a heart attack are more likely to recover well and live longer, than those who keep smoking. 

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve smoked for or how many cigarettes you smoke each day; quitting helps whether you’re an occasional smoker or you’ve smoked every day for years.

Benefits of quitting smoking after a heart attack

Stopping smoking leads to changes in your blood, heart and blood vessels that can lower your risk of another heart attack.

Improved blood flow

The lining of your coronary arteries starts to recover. This allows blood to flow more easily to your heart and lowers your risk of another heart attack, angina or stroke.

Oxygen levels in your blood increase

When you stop smoking, the amount of oxygen in your blood increases. This means your heart doesn’t need to work as hard to pump oxygen around your body.

Your blood is less likely to clot

Smoking makes your blood thicker. When you quit smoking, your blood is less likely to form clots that can block an artery. 

Your heart rate and blood pressure improve 

Your heart rate and blood pressure drop. This means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard. 

These changes can also help your heart medicines work better.  

Read about the health benefits of quitting smoking

What about vaping?

Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but isn’t risk free, especially if you have heart disease. It can raise your heart rate and blood pressure, and affect how your blood vessels work, which puts strain on your heart.  

If you are unable to quit smoking using other types of support, vaping may   be an option towards quitting.  

Your stop smoking service or Quitline can help you consider options.  

If you vape to stop smoking, you should aim to stop vaping once you’re confident you will not return to smoking.  

If you’ve had a heart attack, the safest option is to stop smoking and vaping.  

Read more about smoking and vaping    

How much could I save by quitting smoking?

Quitting smoking improves your health and saves you money. This means you have more money for the things that matter to you.  

If you smoke a pack of 20 cigarettes a day, you could save almost $15,000 a year. 

Use this calculator to see what your savings could be.

Ways to quit smoking

Most people are more likely to quit if they have support and use stop smoking medicines or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Together, these can more than double your chances of quitting for good. 

• Talk to your GP, practice nurse, cardiac nurse or pharmacist. 
• Use stop smoking medicines or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT is free when you sign up with your local stop smoking service. 
• Get free support from Quitline by phone (0800 778 778), text (4006) or online. 
• Work with a free quit coach. 
• Join a support programme – these can be one-on-one or group based. 
• Ask friends and whānau to support you. 
• Use a quit smoking app. Visit the Healthify App Library to find one.  
• If you are unable to quit smoking using other types of support, discuss vaping with your stop smoking provider as an option towards quitting.

Tips to help you quit smoking

Quitting smoking often works best when different approaches are used together. Here are some tips that people often find helpful:  

• Stop smoking medicines or NRT: these help to reduce cravings.  
• Find support: support from others can make quitting easier.  
• Use distraction: when a craving hits, distraction can help, such as slow deep breathing, a stress ball or fidget, or a short walk.     
• Avoid triggers: urges are often linked to habits, places or people. Changing routines or where you spend time can help.   
• Make your surroundings smokefree: keep your home and car smokefree and avoid being around others when they’re smoking. 
• Manage stress: rest, gentle activity, or talking to someone can help. 

Take it one day at a time. Every day you’re smokefree is good news for your health.

Keep trying

If you quit and start smoking again, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Slips are common, especially during stressful times or during early recovery. 

What matters most is getting back on track. Use what you’ve learned from last time and try again. Every smokefree day helps your heart recover.

Explore our heart attack recovery pages