Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness in men of working age

The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of smoking and its influence on the parameters of arterial stiff ness in men of working age. Material and methods . The study included 86 men aged 37.6 ± 7.6. The prevalence and intensity of smoking was assessed. Among the experimental subjects, 48 people were selected and divided into two groups (smokers and non-smokers) comparable due to other cardiovascular risk factors. In both groups, arterial rigidity was studied by volumetric sphygmography. Results and discussion . The prevalence of tobacco smoking was 46.5%, and half of the smokers had a smoking index greater than 10 packs/years. The CAVI index in smokers was 7.0 ± 1.2; in non-smokers — 6.3 ± 0.5 (p = 0.02). CAVI was increased above the age limit in 22% of smokers, and there were no deviations from the norm in the other group. There was a positive correlation of the CAVI index with both smoking duration (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001) and the pack/years index (r = 0.36, p = 0.04). Conclusion . The prevalence of tobacco smoking among men of working age remains high: about half of them are smokers. Every fifth male smoker has an increase in vascular stiffness above the age norm, which may indicate vascular remodeling.