[Cardiovascular diseases secondary to active and passive smoking].

This articles reviews the effects of smoking on the cardiovascular system. Smoking accelerates and aggravates atherosclerosis and increases the risk of coronary artery disease and its clinical manifestations (unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction and sudden death), cerebrovascular diseases, aortic aneurysms and peripheral artery occlusive diseases. Smoking is considered the most important modifiable risk factor for these diseases. Fortunately, quitting smoking reduces and even normalizes cardiovascular risk.