Smoking increases the cold pressor mediated arterial stiffness

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors to cardiovascular diseases. To assess the changes of vascular stiffness by smoking, smoking (smoking index > 300) and non-smoking groups (n=20 each group, all male) were exposed to a cold pressor test (CPT; ice water hand immersion) and brachial and ankle blood pressure (Bp), ankle-brachial index (ABI), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured before and after CPT. There was no significant statistical association of background risk factors except smoking between smoking and nonsmoking groups. Brachial and ankle Bp did not show any difference between smoking and nonsmoking groups before CPT, however, ankle systolic and diastolic Bp and ABI were significantly increased in smoking group than in nonsmoking group after CPT (170±14/91±5 vs 186±15/99±5, p<0.05, 1.09±0.06 vs 1.16±0.07, p<0.05). The baPWV of smoking group tended to be higher compared to nonsmoking group before CPT, (1323±157 vs 1366±69, p=0.49). The baPWV after CPT was significantly increased in smoking group than in nonsmoking group (1524±161 vs 1661±168, p<0.05) Conclusion: Ankle Bp and baPWV were increased by cold pressor test and this change was prominent in smoking group. These results may indicate the early feature of arterial damage by smoking. This method could be an effective way to predict the endothelial damage by smoking.