Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure Estimated Using the SHSES Scale and Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness in Hypertensive Patients

• Published in: Cardiovascular toxicology 2021-01, Vol.21 (1), p.79-87
• Main Authors: Gać, Paweł, Czerwińska, Karolina, Poręba, Małgorzata, Macek, Piotr, Mazur, Grzegorz, Poręba, Rafał
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adipose tissues; Angiography; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood pressure; Cardiology; Computed tomography; CT imaging; Exposure; Hypertension; Passive smoking; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Regression analysis; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Subgroups; Thickness; Tobacco; Tobacco smoke; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 1530-7905; 1559-0259
• DOI: 10.1007/s12012-020-09598-y

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between environmental tobacco smoke exposure (ETS) and epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) in hypertensive patients. A total of 96 patients with essential hypertension were recruited for this study. The group consisted of 48 females and 48 males with the mean age of 69.32 ± 9.54 years. ETS was assessed with The Secondhand Smoke Exposure Scale (SHSES). EATT was assessed in 128-slice dual source coronary computed tomography angiography. In accordance to SHSES scale patients were divided into subgroups: subgroup A—no ETS exposure (SHSES = 0 points, n  = 48), subgroup B—low ETS exposure (SHSES = 1–3 points, n  = 11), subgroup C—medium ETS exposure (SHSES = 4–7 points, n  = 20) and subgroup D—high ETS exposure (SHSES = 8–11 points, n  = 17). Within the study group the mean EATT was 5.75 ± 1.85 mm and the mean SHSES score was 3.05 ± 3.74. EATT was statistically significantly higher in subgroup D than in subgroups A and B (A: 5.28 ± 1.64 mm, B: 5.04 ± 2.64 mm, D: 7.04 ± 2.64 mm, p A–D and p B–D