title: Effects of cigarette smoking on heart rate variability and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in healthy subjects: is there the relationship between both markers?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarette smoking increased the risk of acute cardiac events related with endothelial dysfunction and increased sympathetic activity. Impaired autonomic nervous activity is recognized as a considerable symptom of cardiac dysfunction and is strongly associated with increased risk overall mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 75 healthy habitual smokers (40 female, 35 male, mean age 36.5 +/- 8.5 years), and 73 non-smokers subjects (45 female, 28 male, mean age 34.6 +/- 7.2 years) were studied. LF and LF/HF ratio were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. On the contrary, SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD, and HF values were lower in smokers compared to those in non-smokers. Not the duration of smoking but the number of cigarettes smoked per day was correlated with the HRV parameters and NT-pro BNP. Furthermore, the average levels of NT-pro BNP were found to be positively correlated with LF, LF/HF and inversely correlated with SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD and HF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a result, smoking impaires sympathovagal balance and decreases the heart rate variability in healthy subjects. And even a one cigarette smoking leads to overt sympathetic excitation. Furthermore, smoking results in an increase in NT-proBNP levels and the changes in adrenergic nervous system and NT-proBNP levels are well correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings could contribute to the higher rate of cardiovascular events in smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. droalyan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alyan
authors.forename: Fehmi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kacmaz
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Maden
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topaloglu
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozbakir
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Metin
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karadede
authors.forename: Erdogan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ilkay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain