title: Assessment of atrial conduction time by tissue Doppler echocardiography and P-wave dispersion in smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cigarette smoking and atrial rhythm disorders with the use of noninvasive methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 50 healthy volunteer smokers and 40 healthy volunteer non-smokers who had normal echocardiographic parameters and similar sex and age profiles. P-wave dispersion (PWD) was calculated from the 12-lead surface ECG. Left ventricle (LV) end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters, LV ejection fraction, and interatrial and intraatrial electromechanical delay were measured by tissue Doppler imaging and conventional echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Isovolumetric relaxation time and deceleration time were significantly higher (91.5 ± 11 vs. 82.35 ± 8.6, p < 0.0001; 215.7 ± 37.1 vs. 175.3 ± 17.7, p < 0.0001, respectively), and HDL cholesterol was significantly lower in smokers (39.34 ± 7.5 vs.44.3 ± 8.07, p = 0.003). There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to Sm and Em values, Am value, and E/A and E/Em ratios. However, the Em/Am ratio was significantly lower in smokers (1.28 ± 0.21 vs. 1.44 ± 0.33, p < 0.006). Inter- and intraatrial electromechanical delay were significantly higher in smokers when compared with non-smokers (51.11 ± 1.54 vs. 27.30 ± 3.36, p < 0.0001, and 30.63 ± 3.2 vs. 12.24 ± 3.26, p < 0.0001, respectively). The amount of smoking was strongly correlated with interatrial electromechanical delay (r = 0.567, p < 0.0001), and a significant correlation was detected between PWD and interatrial electromechanical delay (r = 0.653, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated the relationship between inter- and intraatrial electromechanical delay and PWD. These parameters may be useful predictive markers for the development of AF in the asymptomatic period before cardiac rhythm disturbances occur. This finding may indicate that smokers have an increased risk of developing atrial rhythm disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Adıyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey. erdalakturk@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akturk
authors.forename: Jülide
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yağmur
authors.forename: Nusret
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Açıkgöz
authors.forename: Necip
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ermiş
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cansel
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karakuş
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taşolar
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eyupkoca
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pekdemir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric