Chronic cigarette smoking affects left and right ventricular long-axis function in healthy young subjects: a Doppler...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease.
• Chronic smoking has adverse cardiac effects beyond coronary atherosclerosis.
• The impact of smoking on ventricular function requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effects of chronic smoking on left and right ventricular long-axis function.
• To utilize Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI) for evaluating these effects.
• To determine if smoking-induced changes are detectable in healthy young smokers.

Main Methods:

• Forty healthy young smokers and 40 age-matched non-smokers were enrolled.
• Standard echocardiography was performed, followed by DMI.
• Peak systolic and diastolic velocities, strain (S), and strain rate (SR) were measured from ventricular walls.

Main Results:

• Smokers showed significantly reduced septal, lateral, and right ventricular free wall systolic and diastolic function indices.
• Reduced peak systolic velocity (V(S)), early diastolic velocity (V(E)), strain (S), and strain rate (SR) were observed in smokers.
• A correlation was found between smoking amount and reduced strain and strain rate.

Conclusions:

• Chronic cigarette smoking adversely affects long-axis systolic and diastolic function in both ventricles of healthy young individuals.
• Doppler myocardial imaging, including velocity and strain rate measurements, can accurately detect these functional alterations.
• These findings highlight the subclinical cardiac impact of smoking in young adults.