There is a relationship between mitral valve degeneration and leaflet calcification and smoking, and it is advisable to stop smoking as soon as possible. Smokers have a reduced release of prostacyclin and platelets tend to adhere and aggregate in the arterial wall.
Smoking also lowers HDL-C and increases LDL-C, making you more susceptible to atherosclerosis. In addition, the nicotine contained in tobacco acts directly on the coronary arteries and myocardium, causing arterial spasm and myocardial damage, making smokers more susceptible to coronary heart disease compared to non-smokers, and the higher the age and risk factors for coronary heart disease, the higher the incidence of mitral valve degeneration and leaflet calcification has been reported.