Cardiovascular effects induced by tobacco smoking in young adult smokers

• Autor(a) principal: Lopes, Inês
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Teixeira, Patrícia, Silva, Ana Patrícia, Cunha, Gilda, Fonseca, Virgínia, Lobato, João
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.25758/set.2181
• topic: Tabagismo; Frequência cardíaca; Pressão arterial; Eletrocardiografia; Repolarização ventricular; Tobacco smoking; Heart rate; Blood pressure; Electrocardiography; Ventricular repolarization

Background – Smoking is the modifiable risk factor responsible for more deaths worldwide, more than 25% of the European Union's young adults are smokers. The nicotine effects on the cardiovascular system induce an increase in heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP), and may also cause ventricular dysrhythmias. Aim of the study – Verification of changes in blood pressure and electrocardiographic parameters before, during, and after tobacco smoke, in young adult smokers. Methods – Quasi-experimental study, whose sample (N=30), obtained by convenience, was divided into two groups: daily smokers (n=16) and occasional smokers (n=14). Measurements of BP, HR, PQ interval, QRS complex, QTc, and extrasystoles were made before, during, and after smoking. Results and Discussion – There was a significant increase in HR, systolic and diastolic BP during the act of smoking in both groups. After 15 minutes of recovery, the daily smokers still have significant differences in HR in relation to baseline (HRb=71±8.1bpm; HR 15min=80±7.8bpm; p=0.000), while occasional smokers approximate baseline values after 13 minutes of recovery (HRb=72±16.8bpm; HR 13min=78±10.6 bpm; p=0.059). Comparing the BP values ​​between the two groups of smokers, there are significant differences in diastolic BP at the end of smoking (daily = 89±17.2mmHg; occasional = 80±8.7mmHg, p=0.047) and at 15 minutes of the recovery period (daily = 81±8.7mmHg; occasional = 75±8.1mmHg; p=0.037). The immediate increase in HR during smoke may be attributed to nicotine, which stimulates neurotransmitters that induce an increase in heart rate, and blood pressure. In the remaining electrocardiographic variables, there were no statistically significant changes between the two smoking groups, besides the increase in QTc interval in Daily smokers (QTc basal=398.1±26.0ms vs QTc end of smoking=433.3±21.3ms, p=0.000) and in occasional smokers (QTc basal=411.9±25.2ms vs QTc end of smoking=434.1±20.0ms, p=0.000). Conclusion – The relevant cardiovascular changes induced by tobacco smoking in this study were the increase in HR, QTc interval, and systolic and diastolic BP. The study variables' behavior was similar in both groups, however, the daily smokers' group always showed higher changes than occasional smokers.