Evaluation of aortic stiffness in tobacco-smoking adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the aortic stiffness in tobacco-smoking adolescents and to investigate its relationship to tobacco smoke.


METHODS
Aortic strain (S), pressure strain elastic modulus (E(p)), and normalized E(p) (E(p)*) in tobacco-smoking adolescents and the healthy control group were measured by a sphygmomanometer with cuff and transthoracic echocardiography. The study group consisted of 30 healthy cases (M/F: 27/3) as a control group and 30 tobacco-smoking volunteer adolescents (M/F: 28/2). Unpaired Student's t-test was used for comparison of these groups.


RESULTS
The mean ages were 16.1 +/- 1.8 years and 16.2 +/- 1.4 years, respectively. The number of cigarettes smoked per day was 31 +/- 7.1 and the duration of smoking was 3.4 +/- 1.1 years. S, E(p) and E(p)* measurements of tobacco smokers were different than the control groups' and this difference was statistically significant. S values were significantly higher in nonsmokers than in smokers; whereas E(p) and E(p)* values were significantly higher in smoker group.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that measurement of aortic stiffness with S, E(p), and E(p)* can be used as an early indicator of atherosclerosis in tobacco-smoking adolescents.
Levent
Ertürk
E
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. erturk@med.ege.edu.tr
Ozyürek
Arif Ruhi
AR
Ulger
Zülal
Z
D000293:Adolescent; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology