SURVEY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMOKING STATUS AND ELASTIC INDEXES OF THE ASCENDING AORTA BY ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN MALE TOBACCO ADDICTS

Abstract

Background: Many studies has reported that chronic smoking affects arterial stiffness. Smoking causes changes in both peripheral and central blood vessel function, even in young or middle-aged smokers. Echocardiography is a noninvasive and simple test, simply, to help evaluate the elastic properties of ascending aorta through the indices such as aortic strain, aortic stiffness, aortic distensibility. Aim: To determine the association between smoking status and elastic indexes of the ascending aortia measured by echocardiography. Material and Methods: this study was carried on 180 male subject, 90 smokers, mean age 37.56 ± 7.31 years and 90 healthy male non-smokers with similar age. Echocardiography was done with the following indexes: systolic and diastolic aortic diameter, aortic strain, aortic stiffness, aortic distensibility and blood pressure. Relationship between these indexes and duration of smoking was determined. Results: In group of smoking <17 pack one year, the indices of aortic elasticity is not different from the control group, p> 0,05. In group of smoking ≥ 17 pack year, strain index and aortic distensibility are significantly lower than the control group, whereas stiffness index is higher than the control group with p <0.001. Strain index and aortic distensibility of the ascending aorta were negatively correlated with duration of smoking, with p <0.0001. Stiffness index is positively correlated with duration of smoking, with p <0.0001. Conclusions: Smoking have decreased ascending aortic distensibility compared to non-smokers in a manner is related to duration of smoking. Keywords: Duration of smoking, aortic elastic properties, echocardiography