Mentholated cigarette smoking induced alterations in left and right ventricular functions in chronic smokers

Possible acute effects of smoking mentholated cigarette on left and right ventricular function is not known. The aim of the study was to compare acute effects of normal and mentholated cigarettes smoking on both ventricular diastolic functions in chronic smokers.

In a single-blinded, cross-over, open label and controlled study acute effect of smoking of the mentholated and the regular cigarettes was evaluated. Eighteen other than healthy regular cigarette smokers and 20 nonsmoker control subjects were included into the study. To compare the acute effects of mentholated and regular cigarette in each subject echocardiographic examination including tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were performed at baseline, than in the smokers group TDI was measure 20-30 minutes after smoking two either cigarettes.

In response to smoking two cigarettes, mitral E/A values declined from 1.78+/-0.44 to 1.58+/-0.41 after the regular cigarette (p=0.0043) and from 1.78+/-0.44 to 1.53+/-0.40 after the mentholated cigarette (p=0.0035). Tricuspid E deceleration time values declined from 185.28+/-20.05 ms to 222.72+/-26.47 ms after the regular cigarette (p<0.001) and 185.28+/-20.05 ms to 241.53+/-47.63 ms after the mentholated cigarette (p<0.001). Smoking of mentholated cigarette, but not regular cigarette smoking, increased tricuspid E deceleration time and right ventricular isovolumic contraction time (p=0.044; p=0.024 respectively) and decreased the right ventricular Em values (p=0.027).

Mentholated and regular cigarette smoking have acute detrimental effects on right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. Mentholated cigarettes cause additional unfavorable acute effects on especially right ventricular tissue Doppler velocities, relaxation and contraction indices compared to regular cigarettes.