Nicotine, found in tobacco of any form, increases heart rate and blood pressure for a short term with each use. It has been found by a study that cigarette smoking increases the systolic blood pressure count by at least 20 mm Hg. 
 
Smoking is a major cause for the tightening of arteries, which results in increased blood pressure. It also causes the arteries to harden. It is a long term process for arteries to harden and can take years to develop. The process involves deposit of cholesterol and other fats on the walls of the arteries, causing them to be constricted, rigid or blocked. When arteries constrict, formation of blood clots are soon to follow. Smoking only causes the hardening and narrowing process to go faster.

Individuals who tend to smoke one packet of cigarettes in a day have more than two times the risk of a heart attack than those who are non-smokers. It is a major cause of coronary artery disease in young people. Women smokers who take birth control pills have increased risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Quitting smoking is very important for anyone with hypertension or any form of heart disease. It is especially important for women who use birth control pills.