Acute Effects of Cigarette Smoking on the Left Ventricular Diastolic Function

Authors: Füsun GÜLTEKİN, Ferhan CANDAN, Lütfü HOCAOĞLU, Fatoş ÖNEN, Esra BASKIN

Abstract: In 30 chronic smoker (12 women and 18 males) with coronary artery disease, the acute effects of single cigarette smoking on the left ventricular diastolic function were evaluated by echocardiography. Mean age of the patients was 54.2± 7.3 years (range: 38 to 68 years). We used simultaneous M-mode echocardiography of the mitral and aortic valves to measure isovolumetric relaxation time. Also, Doppler echocardiography of transmitral blood flow has been recorded to evaluate the left ventricular filling before and just after smoking. After single cigarette smoking (it contains about 3 mg/cig. nicotine), heart rates and mean arterial blood pressures increased significantly (p<0.001 ). The early diastolic flow velocity decreased from 46. 13±0.87 cm/s to 39.23±0.81 cm/s (p<0.001 ). Peak E/A velocity ratio fell down from 1.02±0.01 to 0.81 ±0.01 (p<0.001 ). The isovolumetric relaxation period rose from 86.90± 1.3 ms to 109.33±2.99 ms (p<0.001 ). As a result, acute nicotine consumption impairs left ventricular diastolic function significanly in patients with coronary artery disese.

Keywords: Cigarette smoking, ventricular diastolic function, transthoracic echocardiography.