English

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Smoking now is identified as a major cause of respiratory diseases, heart related ailments, cancer and a wide variety of other health problems. It is well known that the acute effects of smoking produce an increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, tachycardia, vasoconstriction, increase in carotid artery occlusion, and sometimes instantaneous Myocardial infarction. The present study was undertaken to study the effects of smoking on blood pressure in young apparently healthy individuals. OBJECTIVE: To compare blood pressure values between smokers and non-smokers. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, Karnataka. The study included 100 apparently healthy males, 50 smokers and 50 non-smokers, between ages 20-35 years. Demographic data, history of smoking habit (quantity and duration) and detailed medical history were obtained from the subjects. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded. Results were compared from the two groups using statistical tools. RESULTS: There was statistically significant increase in heart rate, systolic blood pressure as well as diastolic blood pressure in smokers when compared to non- smokers. CONCLUSION: The study shows that systolic as well as diastolic blood pressures were elevated in the absence of any cardiac disease in smokers.