I had a heart attack a couple of years ago, at 37, due to genetic high cholesterol and probably not-so genetic high blood pressure. I actually picked up the pipe AFTER my heart attack, to help ween me off the pack a day cig habit. Made a point to never inhale. Started out having to smoke 5+ bowls a day of strong tobacco like Royal Yacht, 1792, and other various Gawith flakes and twists.
Now I can smoke a small bowl or three a day, or skip a few days without ever feeling a nicotine craving, so it's just a smoke for flavor and pleasure. And I smoke in a well ventilated area and still never inhale, so I don't think it affects my health anymore than standing by a campfire for an hour.
After a couple years of high doses of medication that cause me severe muscle cramps without much difference in my numbers, I finally ditched all meat from my diet and really started noticing a boost in my general health and a drop in my BP. Dropped dairy and eggs about a month ago and now feel better than ever. Actually looking forward to my next checkup to find out what my cholesterol is looking like, and hoping they'll lower my dosage on some of the more problematic meds.
I hope you can get your health issues sorted and, if you so choose, still be able to enjoy an occasional relaxing smoke! Even if smoking is out for you, I hope you'll look into how diet and nutrition can affect heart health.
Plenty of conflicting info out there, most paid for by lobby groups, but physicians have been saying pretty much the same thing for centuries -- "let thy food be thy medicine,..."
Be well!
