Effects of cigarette smoke on Holter ECG recordings in patients with arterial hypertension. Part 1: Time domain parameters of heart rate variability.
This report was intended to evaluate the effect of cigarette smoke on heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH). 223 individuals were qalified to the studies. The following groups of patients not suffering from other disease which may affect HRV were delineated: 1 - patients with AH (n=145); 2 - patients without AH (n=48). In group 1 the following patient groups were studied: A - active smokers (n=42), B - non-smokers exposed to cigarette smoke (n=30), C - non-smokers not exposed to tobacco smoke (n=34), D - former smokers (n=26). A time domain HRV analysis was carried out. Group 1 versus group 2 manifested significantly lower mean values of most parameters in the HRV time domain analysis. Subgroups A, B and D versus subgroup C also exhibited significantly lower mean values of most parameters in the HRV time domain analysis. Active cigarette smoking and passive exposure to tobacco smoke represented independent risk factors for a decreased HRV.


CONCLUSIONS
Active and passive exposure to cigarette smoke decreases HRV in hypertensive patients.
Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Marcinkowskiego 1, PL 50-368 Wrocław, Poland. Electronic address: pawelgac@interia.pl.
Paweł
P
Gać
Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Marcinkowskiego 1, PL 50-368 Wrocław, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Sobieszczańska
D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
24-h Holter monitoring; Active smoking; Arterial hypertension; Heart rate variability; Passive smoking