Positive Relationships between Smoking and the Arterial Stiffness Index in Adults without Underlying Diseases

• Main Authors: Piyanuch Thitiwuthikiat, Jirapas Jongjitwimol, Teonchit Nuamchit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Prince of Songkla University 2017-04-01
• Series: Journal of Health Science and Medical Research (JHSMR)
• Subjects: ankle-brachial index; arterial occlusion; arterial stiffness; cardio-ankle vascular index; cigarette smoking
• Online Access: https://www.jhsmr.org/index.php/jhsmr/article/view/123

Objective: Smoking is a leading risk factor for various diseases including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD is a form of cardiovascular disease that affects the blood vessels, resulting in vascular stiffness and occlusion. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) are non-invasive techniques for detection of vascular occlusion and stiffness, respectively. To determine the association between cigarette smoking and peripheral arterial conditions, the ABI and CAVI of smokers and non-smokers were investigated. Material and Method: One hundred and forty one middle-aged participants without underlying diseases were enrolled, 49 smokers and 92 non-smokers. A questionnaire was developed to collect the demographic information, medical history, and smoking behaviours of the participants, and their ABI and CAVI were measured. Results: Our results showed that the CAVI values of smokers (7.88±1.26) were significantly differed from those of non-smokers (7.17±0.94) at p-value <0.001. In addition, age and cigarette smoking were independent factors significantly related to the CAVI values by a multivariate analysis. Likewise, we found a positive relationship between the CAVI values and the number of cigarettes smoked per day (r=0.31) and the length of smoking duration (r=0.42) at p-value<0.001. However, the ABI values between smokers and non-smokers were not different. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that age and smoking were significantly related to CAVI, and a greater number of cigarettes smoked per day and longer smoking duration had positive relationships to CAVI values.