Early signs of airflow restriction and cardiovascular damage in conditionally healthy smokers

Abstract

Tobacco smoking is one of the most widespread and at the same time difficult to control risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases, which make the most significant contribution to the mortality. Smoking intensity, development of airflow restrictions, and damage to vascular endothelium are connected to the accelerated development of atherosclerosis. At the same time, there is no evidence of a possible relationship between the development of myocardial dysfunction and exposure to tobacco combustion products. It is of interest to study the incidence of airflow restrictions, arterial hypertension, and markers of early damage to target organs - the brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) and myocardium, in so-called relatively healthy smoking individuals. The aim of the study was to describe the incidence of airflow restrictions, hypertension, the state of the brachiocephalic arteries, and indicators of global and regional longitudinal strain of the left ventricle (GLSLV and RLSLV) in actively smoking conditionally healthy individuals. Methods. 100 active smokers were examined (smoking person index or ICH > 10 (17 ± 2 packs/year)) at the mean age of 48,80± 0,68years. 55% of the patients were male. The diagnosis of COPD was made based on spirometry values before and after the test with bronchodilators (400 mcg of salbutamol) (FEV1/FVC < 70% and FEV1 increase <12% of the initial values). Blood pressure measurement, duplex scanning of brachiocephalic arteries, transthoracic echocardiography with GLSLV and RLSLV with 17-segment division by Strain method were performed in all patients. Results. COPD was diagnosed in 35% of the patients, hypertension - in 45%. Evaluation of BCA showed increased thickness of intimamedia complex in the patients with hypertension (р= 0.002) and a significantly higher degree of stenosis and number of plaques in patients with concomitant COPD and hypertension. Type 1 diastolic dysfunction of LV was detected both in patients with hypertension and in the patients with COPD, but it was most common in the patients with concomitant COPD and hypertension. The GLSLV values did not change in all patients, but the RLSLV values depended on the segment (basal, medial, apical) and were significantly lower in the patients with concomitant COPD and hypertension. Conclusion. Tobacco combustion products not only are risk factors of airflow restriction and systemic vascular dysfunction, but also cause preclinical myocardial damage, a marker of which is a violation of the longitudinal strain of the left ventricle.