Key result
Continuous heavy smoking linked to ~100% faster annual arterial stiffening versus never-smokers.
Why the study?
Smoking is an avoidable cardiovascular risk factor linked to arterial stiffness, but no prospective study had assessed continuous smoking's effect on age-associated progression of arterial stiffening.
Does continuous smoking accelerate the progression of arterial stiffening in adults?
Cohort (n=2,054)
Does continuous smoking accelerate the progression of arterial stiffening in adults?
Absolute Event Rate: 11% vs 5.5%
p-value: p=< 0.05
Continuous smoking accelerates the age-associated progression of arterial stiffening in a dose-dependent manner, independent of systemic inflammation as measured by CRP.
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Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“What this study emphasizes is that the damage is cumulative. The fact that you've gotten away with it so far doesn't mean you'll get away with it forever.”
“This shows that smoking accelerates the process. But it also adds more information in terms of the role smoking plays as a cause of cardiovascular disease.”
Smoking may accelerate arterial stiffening via inflammation; leaves open causal confirmation and cessation effects in trials.
Tomiyama et al. (2010) conducted a cohort in Arterial stiffening (n=2,054). Continuous smoking vs. Never-smokers was evaluated on Annual rate of change of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) (p=< 0.05). Continuous heavy smoking significantly accelerated the annual progression of arterial stiffening compared to never-smokers (11.0 vs 5.5 cm/s/year; p<0.05).
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