Updated April 02, 2015.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Cigarette smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for stroke. Yet the nicotine dependence combined with the habitual nature of smoking make it a powerful addiction that many smokers have tremendous difficulty giving up, even when you know how harmful your habit truly is.

How Does Cigarette Smoking Cause Stroke?

A number of different chemicals absorbed into the body through the inhalation of cigarette smoke induce harmful long term and short-term changes in the blood vessels of the brain.

The speed of blood flow through the brain’s blood vessels changes during and shortly after smoking. Additionally, persistent injury to the lining of the cerebral blood vessels (blood vessels that supply the brain) can contribute to long-term blood vessel disease called cerebrovascular disease, which often results in stroke. Blood vessels in the brain become more predisposed to blockage and to the development of blood clots after repeated exposure to the chemicals inhaled via cigarettes.
Cigarette smoke produces variations in heart rate and heart function that may ultimately lead to stroke.