Cerebral blood flow and cessation of cigarette smoking in healthy volunteers.
OBJECTIVE
The mechanisms by which cessation of cigarette smoking may improve regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and the details of the possible relationship remain unclear. Xenon-133 inhalation was used to determine rCBF in six smokers at baseline (during smoking) and again 6 and 9 years after they had quit smoking (quitter group). A control group of eight nonsmokers (nonsmokers group) underwent similar serial determinations.


RESULTS
Regional CBF in quitters had decreased significantly after the 6 years, but improved significantly after 9 years, when abstinence had been maintained from 4 to 6 years. In the nonsmokers group rCBF did not change significantly over 9 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Cessation of cigarette smoking improves cerebral circulation, but this effect requires several years.
Yamashita
K
K
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Shimane Medical University, Izumo.
Kobayashi
S
S
Yamaguchi
S
S
D000368:Aged; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation