Introduction: Aortic elastic properties are markers and prognosticators of cardiovascular risk. Smoking adversely affects arterial elastic properties. The acute and chronic effect of cigarette smoking on the elastic properties of the ascending aorta has not been determined.
Methods: The chronic part of the study included 130 healthy male subjects (age 38.1+/-8.9 years, 85 smokers and 45 non-smokers) with no other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Twenty of the smokers (age 40.0+/-4.2 years) were also included in the acute study. In the acute study each subject was studied on two occasions: one while smoking one cigarette and the other during sham smoking. Ascending aortic distensibility was assessed by two-dimensional, guided, M-mode transthoracic echocardiography of the aortic root at baseline and at the end of smoking. In the chronic study the association was assessed between smoking status and ascending aortic distensibility.
Results: Smoking acutely increased systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure. Furthermore, smoking decreased ascending aortic distensibility (by 0.53+/-0.86 cm(2) x dyne(-1) x 10(-6), p<0.05). The chronic study showed that smokers had greater ascending aortic distensibility than non-smokers (2.22+/-0.93 vs. 2.75+/-1.07 cm(2) x dyne(-1) x 10(-6), respectively, p<0.05). Aortic distensibility was independently associated with smoking (beta=-0.293, p<0.001) after controlling for possible confounders. No association of aortic distensibility with the intensity or duration of smoking was observed within the group of smokers.
Conclusions: Cigarette smoking results acutely in a deterioration of ascending aortic elastic properties in healthy male subjects. On a chronic basis, smokers have decreased ascending aortic distensibility compared to non-smokers. This effect of smoking on aortic distensibility is not related to dose or duration.