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Smoking Threatens Kidney Health, Damages Renal Functions, Say Experts

Smoking is not good for your heart and lungs. However, according to experts, cigarettes also heavily impact your kidney functions, as those who smoke are more likely to have protein in the urine. It is a sign your kidneys are under stress, which leads to permanent damage. Read on to know a few ways you can quit smoking.

Ashima Sharda Mahindra

Updated Apr 19, 2024, 16:42 IST

Nicotine serves as a primary contributor to the decline in renal function and is considered an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease or CKD

Whether you smoke or chew, tobacco is dangerous to your health. Containing highly unsafe substances like acetone, tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, smoking affects your lungs and the other organs in your body.

Smoking leads to ongoing complications and long-term effects on your body systems. While smoking increases your risk of certain health conditions over the years like glaucoma, cancer, and issues with blood clotting, some of the other bodily effects include harm to your kidneys.

According to experts, nicotine serves as a primary contributor to the decline in renal function and is considered an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease or CKD. Furthermore, smoking also escalates the susceptibility to kidney cancer - highlighting its multifaceted deleterious effects on renal health.

“Smoking increases the blood pressure and glomerular pressure leading to structural changes and endothelial cell damage within the kidney tissue, culminating in gradual renal impairment over time. Additionally, the presence of various harmful chemicals in cigarettes, such as cadmium, poses a direct threat to kidney health by inducing damage to renal tissues,” Dr. Pradnya Harshe, Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician, Bhailal Amin General Hospital, told Times Now.

How does cigarette smoking cause kidney harm?

A few ways smoking harms your kidneys include:

Increases blood pressure and heart rate
Reduces blood flow in the kidneys
Increases production of angiotensin II (a hormone produced in the kidney)
Narrows the blood vessels in the kidneys
Damages arterioles
Forms arteriosclerosis or thickening and hardening of the renal arteries
Accelerates loss of kidney function

“Cigarette smoking heightens the risk of renovascular hypertension, a condition characterized by high blood pressure resulting from narrowing or blockage of the renal arteries,” Dr. Harshe added.

Ways to quit smoking

A few ways to quit smoking include:

Choose a date to stop

Pick an important date like your birthday or New Year's to quit smoking completely

Change your environment

Get rid of all the cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, and place of work, and do not let people smoke in your home.

Let others know you're quitting

Inform your friends and family members about your decision to stop smoking as they can encourage you

Talk to your doctor about medications

Several drugs can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA has approved seven medications to help you quit smoking which include:

Nicotine (gum, inhaler, nasal spray, patch and lozenge)
Bupropion SR
Varenicline tartrate

Fight your urges

Tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive, so, when you stop smoking, nicotine causes withdrawal symptoms. Be ready to fight those urges by trying to distract yourself

Find something else to put in your hands or your mouth

You have gotten used to having something in your hands or mouth. It might be a water bottle or a lollipop. Brush your teeth every hour or chew sugar-free gum.

Practice relaxation strategies and deep breathing

When you are tempted to smoke, sit down and concentrate on your breathing. Take a deep breath, all the way down to your belly, and slowly, slowly exhale.

As you exhale, remind yourself that you can do it. Feel the clean air coming out of your body.

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