Smokers urged to get life-saving scan, cardiologist says addiction rivals cocaine

Cardiologist Jorge Tartaglione drew a stark parallel between smoking and cocaine addiction, noting that tobacco use is "socially accepted." Speaking on LN+, he emphasized the critical need for a specific medical screening for individuals who smoke or have smoked in the past.

"Those who smoked for twenty years and quit, for example, fifteen years ago, have the opportunity to undergo a study that not only allows for early detection of tumors and nodules but can also save their lives: a low-dose computed tomography scan," Tartaglione explained. He revealed that his own father died of lung cancer due to smoking, underscoring the personal stakes involved in this public health issue.

Tartaglione also addressed the dangers of passive smoking. He then detailed the significant health improvements that occur after quitting. "Within twenty minutes of quitting, your heart rate normalizes. Within two days, your lung capacity does the same. Within three years, you have the same risk as a non-smoker of having an acute myocardial infarction. And between 10 and 15 years, the risk of lung cancer," he stated.

Despite widespread knowledge of smoking's harms, Tartaglione acknowledged the difficulty in initiating change. "Everyone knows smoking is bad. But the hardest part is getting people who smoke to make a 'click,'" he said. He encouraged those struggling with addiction to ask themselves, "What can I do to change?" He shared the story of a patient named Clarisa who successfully quit after multiple attempts, offering a message of hope: "The more times you try to quit and can't, the last time you will succeed."

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Cuantas más veces intentes dejar de fumar y no puedas, la última vas a poder