Effects of smoking regular or light cigarettes on brachial artery flow-mediated dilation

• Published in: Atherosclerosis 2013-05, Vol.228 (1), p.153-160
• Main Authors: Amato, M, Frigerio, B, Castelnuovo, S, Ravani, A, Sansaro, D, Tremoli, E, Squellerio, I, Cavalca, V, Veglia, F, Sirtori, C.R, Werba, J.P, Baldassarre, D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acute effects; Adult; arginine; atherosclerosis; Brachial Artery - diagnostic imaging; Brachial Artery - metabolism; Brachial Artery - physiology; Cardiovascular; cigarettes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - physiopathology; Female; Flow-mediated dilation; foot-and-mouth disease; Humans; Inflammation; Light cigarettes; Male; men; Middle Aged; nicotine; Nicotine - adverse effects; Nicotinic Agonists - adverse effects; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - metabolism; Smoking - physiopathology; Tobacco Products - adverse effects; ultrasonics; Ultrasonography; Ultrasound; Vasculitis - diagnostic imaging; Vasculitis - metabolism; Vasculitis - physiopathology; vasodilation; Vasodilation - drug effects; Vasodilation - physiology
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2013.02.037

Abstract Background and purpose To compare the effects of regular cigarettes (RCs) and light cigarettes (LCs) on brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and sublingual glyceryl trinitrate-induced dilation (GTN), markers of endothelial dependant and independent function, respectively. Methods 206 subjects (age 51.5 ± 12.8 yr, 122 men) had their smoking habits recorded and FMD and GTN measured by B-mode ultrasound. Cigarettes were categorized as RCs or LCs according to their content of tar, nicotine and CO. The chronic effect was assessed in current smokers of RCs ( n  = 85) or LCs ( n  = 53) and in never smokers (NS; n  = 68). The acute effect was assessed in current smokers by measuring FMD before and 10-min after smoking a single regular ( n  = 29) or light ( n  = 51) cigarette. Results FMD was significantly lower in consumers of RCs (6.26%, 95% C.I. 5.58, 6.94) or LCs (5.59%, 95% C.I. 4.74, 6.45) compared to NS (8.68%, 95% C.I. 7.92, 9.44) (both P   0.05) when compared to each other. GTN was similar in the three groups. Analyses adjusted for clinical confounders and for markers involved in oxidative stress, arginine/nitric oxide pathway, and inflammation provided identical results. Smoking a single cigarette, either regular or light, reduced FMD (−0.88% and −1.17%, respectively, both P