Acute and chronic light smoking in young healthy males significantly blunted the vascular response to physical stress, evidenced by a smaller decrease in subendocardial viability ratio after exercise compared to non-smokers.
Observational (n=77)
Randomized crossover for acute vs chronic smoking conditions
No
Does light smoking impair arterial stiffness and subendocardial viability ratio responses to acute physical stress in young healthy individuals?
Even light smoking in young healthy individuals impairs vascular reserve and the ability of blood vessels to accommodate the hemodynamic changes required during physical stress.
Absolute Event Rate: -339.3% vs -884.1%
p-value: p=<0.0001
BACKGROUND: Studies showed that long-standing smokers have stiffer arteries at rest. However, the effect of smoking on the ability of the vascular system to respond to increased demands (physical stress) has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and subendocardial viability ratio, at rest and after acute exercise in young healthy individuals. METHODS/RESULTS: Healthy light smokers (n = 24, pack-years = 2.9) and non-smokers (n = 53) underwent pulse wave analysis and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity measurements at rest, and 2, 5, 10, and 15 minutes following an exercise test to exhaustion. Smokers were tested, 1) after 12h abstinence from smoking (chronic condition) and 2) immediately after smoking one cigarette (acute condition). At rest, chronic smokers had higher augmentation index and lower aortic pulse pressure than non-smokers, while subendocardial viability ratio was not significantly different. Acute smoking increased resting augmentation index and decreased subendocardial viability ratio compared with non-smokers, and decreased subendocardial viability ratio compared with the chronic condition. After exercise, subendocardial viability ratio was lower, and augmentation index and aortic pulse pressure were higher in non-smokers than smokers in the chronic and acute conditions. cfPWV rate of recovery of was greater in non-smokers than chronic smokers after exercise. Non-smokers were also able to achieve higher workloads than smokers in both conditions. CONCLUSION: Chronic and acute smoking appears to diminish the vascular response to physical stress. This can be seen as an impaired 'vascular reserve' or a blunted ability of the blood vessels to accommodate the changes required to achieve higher workloads. These changes were noted before changes in arterial stiffness or subendocardial viability ratio occurred at rest. Even light smoking in young healthy individuals appears to have harmful effects on vascular function, affecting the ability of the vascular bed to respond to increased demands.
Doonan et al. (Mon,) conducted a observational in Healthy (Light Smokers vs Non-Smokers) (n=77). Light smoking (chronic and acute) vs. Non-smokers was evaluated on Subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) area under the curve (AUC) during arterial stress test (p=<0.0001). Acute and chronic light smoking in young healthy males significantly blunted the vascular response to physical stress, evidenced by a smaller decrease in subendocardial viability ratio after exercise compared to non-smokers.