Influence of systolic blood pressure and cigarette smoking on endothelial function in young healthy people.
BACKGROUND
Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery represents systemic endothelial function, so the relationship between FMD and blood pressure (BP) profile, in relation to the effects of cigarette smoking, was investigated in young healthy subjects.


RESULTS
The 62 healthy subjects (14 females, 48 males; mean 29.7+/-5.5 years old), were divided into a smoking group (n=30) and non-smoking group (n=32). FMD was induced by reactive hyperemia. It was lower in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group (P<0.05). In the non-smoking group, there was an inverse correlation (r=-0.59, P<0.0005) between FMD and systolic BP (SBP), which was not recognized in the smoking group. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that FMD was predicted by either the SBP or the brachial artery diameter in the non-smoking group, whereas it was predicted by the brachial artery diameter in the smoking group. Subdivision by cut-off value of SBP =120 mmHg demonstrated that although FMD with SBP <120 mmHg was preserved in subjects in the non-smoking group, it was depressed to a level comparable with SBP >or=120 mmHg in the smoking group.


CONCLUSIONS
Highly-preserved FMD in subjects with SBP <120 mmHg appears to be impaired by cigarette smoking, resulting in a loss of association between FMD and SBP.
Yufu
Kunio
K
Department of Internal Medicine 1, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Hasama, Yufu, Japan. yufukuni@med.oita-u.ac.jp
Takahashi
Naohiko
N
Okada
Norihiro
N
Shinohara
Tetsuji
T
Hara
Masahide
M
Saikawa
Tetsunori
T
Yoshimatsu
Hironobu
H
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine