I'm a 49 year old woman that smoked a pack and a half of cigarettes a day for 31 years. On Sept 13, 2005 I went to the local emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack. I was diagnosed with coronary artery disease (blocked arteries), high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. I've had 3 angioplasties, and 2 stents placed in my heart. My diet has been excellent all my life, so the doctors don't feel my diet had much to do with my problems. I'm pretty sure my smoking is the main culprit. On Sept. 14, after my first heart catheterization, my cardiologist placed me on several medications for my problems. He told me I had to quit smoking or I would die very young. He said I could use a quit smoking aid like patches, but he didn't want me using them for long. He explained that my medications would open up my blood vessels and allow more oxygen to get to my heart, and he said the quit smoking aides like gum and patches would close the blood vessels back up. Basically the quit smoking aides work against the medications. I choose to quit cold turkey, no patches, no gum, no nothing. It has been 2 months and 11 days since I smoked my last cigarette. I think quitting cold turkey gets the job done faster. With patches and gum, I would still have nicotine going in my body. Instead, I am well on my way to being healthier than I have been in 30 years. QUIT TO LIVE, YOU ARE SO WORTH IT!!!