Abstract 17432: Influence of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness - A Racial Comparison

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although an association between smoking and arterial stiffness has been well established, whether this varies by ethnicity remains a subject of controversy. We hypothesized that the association between smoking and increased arterial stiffness is race-specific. METHODS: White (n=285, 36 smokers) and black (n=317, 91 smokers) participants (mean age 50±9, 57% female) from the Morehouse-Emory Partnership to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities (META-Health) study underwent measurement of central augmentation index (CAIx), a composite measure of arterial wave reflections and stiffness using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor, AtCor). Mixed statistical models were used to determine whether race, age, gender, glucose, lipid parameters, systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglycerides and waist circumference (WC) were predictors of change in CAIx caused by smoking. RESULTS: Age, gender, race, SBP, WC and smoking were found to be independent predictors of CAIx (all P<0.05). The two-way interaction (adjusted for all risk factors) between race and smoking on CAIx was statistically significant. Moreover, CAIx (corrected for heart rate at 75 beats per minute) were similar in white and black non-smokers (20.3 and 21.0, respectively), but significantly higher in black compared to white smokers (21.3 vs.26.4, p=0.027, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Race is a strong predictor of the degree of change in arterial stiffness in conjunction with smoking, with black smokers having higher CAIx. There were no racial differences in non-smokers. The mechanisms by which smoking predisposes blacks to developing arterial stiffness need to be investigated.