title: Chronic smoking prevents amelioration of endothelial function in the course of the menstrual cycle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking is the most important modifiable cardiovascular risk factor in young women. The aim of this study was to investigate whether tobacco use influences physiological changes in endothelial function during the menstrual cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and nitro-mediated dilation (NMD) were assessed in healthy smoking and non-smoking women, by high-resolution ultrasound at 3 time points during the menstrual cycle: at menstruation, in the mid-follicular phase, and in the mid-luteal phase. A total of 25 women (12 non-smokers, 13 smokers) completed the study protocol. FMD did not show differences between smoking and non-smoking women at menstruation and the mid-follicular phase. At the mid-luteal phase, however, FMD was significantly reduced in smoking when compared with non-smoking women. NMD did not differ between smoking and non-smoking women, nor between the different cycle phases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy women, smoking eliminates the physiological amelioration of endothelial function during the menstrual cycle. This study underlines the importance of an exact description of menstrual cycle phase and smoking status in studies investigating endothelial function in premenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Kardiologie und Angiologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicoline
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jochmann
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gericke
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stangl
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stangl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology