Smoking Can Spike Blood Pressure—Here’s How To Lower It Safely (2025)

Notice your blood pressure has been creeping up lately? Smoking not only harms your lungs, but it also causes spikes in blood pressure and increases heart disease risk. Quitting smoking is crucial for heart health, but managing your blood pressure along the way is just as essential. We spoke to several cardiologists to find out how smoking affects blood pressure and some practical tips for lowering it.

Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

First thing’s first: We all know that smoking has health risks, but it can sometimes feel like a monumental challenge to kick the habit for good. According to BMJ Open, most smokers quit an average of six times before achieving their goal––but it isn’t for lack of trying. Smoking changes how our brains work.

“All of our brains have nicotine receptors, and every time we use a product that has nicotine (like cigarettes, chewing tobacco or vaping products) it triggers our brains to release chemicals that make us feel good,” explains Kacey Fogg, PA-C, a certified physician assistant and Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Mercy Medical Center. “After a while, our brains get used to nicotine and start to depend on it. When we try to quit smoking, our brain craves the nicotine to feel good again and goes into withdrawal without it.”

While the cravings can be hard to quiet, doing so is vital for both your lungs and heart.

Does smoking cigarettes raise your blood pressure?

“Studies have shown that cigarette smoking causes an immediate rise in blood pressure and heart rate,” says Caitlin Merrin, DO, a board-certified cardiologist with the Orlando Health Heart and Vascular Institute. “The active ingredient in cigarettes, nicotine, activates the release of hormones which lead to these effects. It can take about 15-30 minutes after smoking for blood pressure and heart rate to return to normal.”

An occasional blood pressure spike might not seem like a big deal, but when it happens repeatedly, it can have long-term effects. That includes putting you at a higher risk of hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure.

“High blood pressure is a leading cause of multiple heart conditions,” Dr. Merrin continues. “It can damage the heart’s arteries and induce plaque build-up (coronary artery disease). It can strain the heart muscle by making it harder to pump which can lead to heart failure and heart rhythm abnormalities.”

“High blood pressure also damages arteries to the rest of the body, which can cause strokes and peripheral artery disease, a condition that reduces blood flow to the limbs,” Dr. Merrin adds.

How to lower blood pressure while quitting smoking cigarettes

Considering these effects, managing high blood pressure is key. While you work on quitting smoking, these three tips can help lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Move your body

Regular exercise is one of the easiest ways to keep blood pressure within the proper range, says Blair Suter, MD, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Specifically, he recommends “150 minutes of exercise a week, including cardio (aerobic exercise) and resistance training.” That’s just under 22 minutes a day.

Science backs this suggestion up. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that combined exercise that pairs aerobics and resistance training was better at reducing blood pressure than either exercise alone.

Another study in PLoS One found that both types of exercise reduced diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) while increasing lean body mass, building strength and supporting cardiorespiratory fitness.

Try the DASH Diet

Dr. Merrin says eating a balanced diet is another easy way to lower high blood pressure and keep blood vessels healthy. Some people opt for the Mediterranean diet, which mimics the eating habits of people in Greece. But Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or the DASH diet, can be even more effective at mitigating the effects of smoking.

The DASH diet prevents high blood pressure by reducing salt intake and emphasizing heart-healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. Research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the DASH Diet lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number) by up to 11 points in people with and without high blood pressure.

Another study in Cardiology in Review concluded that the DASH diet lowered blood pressure more effectively than a typical American diet. Even those who stuck to their regular diet but added more fruits and vegetables saw an improvement in their blood pressure readings.

Swap wine for water

Last, Dr. Merrin says to consider “limiting alcohol consumption.” Since drinking alcohol raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease, swapping out your nightly glass of wine for sparkling water can make all the difference.

Indeed, research published in the American Heart Association Journals found that heavy alcohol drinkers who abstained for a month experienced a significant reduction in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. Similarly, a study in Frontiers in Public Health, concluded that folks who drank at least six cups of water daily were less likely to have high blood pressure overall.

The bottom line on smoking and high blood pressure

Since smoking can cause high blood pressure, these lifestyle changes help counteract some of the harmful effects while working toward your ultimate goal––smoking cessation.

Although difficult, “the long-term health benefits are well worth the effort,” Dr. Merrin says. “In about three to six years after quitting smoking, the risk of heart disease decreases by 50 percent.”

Dr. Suter echoes this insight. “People who stop smoking have substantial improvement in their risk of heart disease within one year of quitting. Stopping smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your heart health.”

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.