Effect of cigarette smoking on myocardial workload in young adults

Background: Cigarette smoking is a major independent risk factor for coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular (CV) events. Cigarette smoking causes sympathovagal imbalance leading to various CV events. Thus, this study was proposed to evaluate the status of smoking in young adults and its effect on myocardial workload. Materials and Methods: This case–control study was conducted among 60 smokers (case) and 48 non-smokers (control). Participants selected for this study (both cases and controls) were MBBS students of a health university in Odisha. Cigarette smoking status was quantified by pack year (PY). Recordings of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were done between 7.30 and 8.30 am after taking 10 min rest. HR was calculated by carotid pulsation. Recording of BP was done in the right arm sitting position, auscultatory method. Two parameters i.e., systolic BP (SBP) and HR were used to calculate rate pressure product (RPP). Results: Smoking status suggested that the smokers recruited were of low intensity of smoking or light smokers. HR, SBP and RPP of smokers were more than that of non-smokers. This variation was found to be significant at P < 0.0001. A quantitative analysis suggested that smokers had 19.25 times more risk to develop CV disease than non-smokers which was also significant at P < 0.0001. Conclusion: Various studies suggested that heavy chronic smokers are suffered from CV diseases. This study suggested that short duration of smoking as well as smoking history of low PY increases myocardial workload and risk of heart disease.