title: Not smoking is associated with lower risk of hypertension: results of the Olivetti Heart Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few epidemiological investigations evaluated the role of smoking cessation on blood pressure (BP), and the results are not univocal. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of smoking cessation on the risk to develop hypertension (HPT) and on BP values.
  
  
  METHODS
  This longitudinal study, with a follow-up period of 8 years, included the participants of the Olivetti Heart Study. Participants were 430 untreated normotensive non-diabetic men with normal renal function, examined twice in 1994-95 and in 2002-04. The sample included current smokers (S, n = 212), former smokers (ES, n = 145) and never smokers (NS, n = 73) at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Basal body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly higher in ES than in S (ES vs. S; BMI: 27.0 ± 2.5 vs. 26.1 ± 2.9 kg/m2; P < 0.01; SBP/DBP: 121.2 ± 9.3/80.0 ± 5.8 vs. 19.1 ± 9.9/77.4 ± 6.7 mm Hg; P < 0.05; M ± SD). After 8 years of follow-up, BP changes (Δ) were significantly lower in ES than in S (ΔSBP/DBP: 12.6 ± 13.4/7.9 ± 8.1 vs. 16.0 ± 14.9/10.3 ± 10.1 mm Hg; P < 0.05; M ± SD), also after adjustment for potential confounders. Moreover, at the last examination, the overall HPT prevalence was 33%, with lower values in ES than in S (25 vs. 38%, P = 0.01). After accounting for age, BP and BMI at baseline, and changes in smoking habit over the 8-year period, ES still had significant lower risk of HPT than S (odds ratio 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.58; P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample of healthy men, smoking cessation was associated with lower BP increment and minor HPT risk, independently of potential confounders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, ESH Excellence Centre of Hypertension, "Federico II" University of Naples Medical School, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Lanfranco
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Elia
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Palma
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strazzullo
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iacone
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strazzullo
authors.forename: Ferruccio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galletti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation