[Acute hemodynamic effect of cigarette smoking and its relationship with nicotine content]

We studied the acute effects of cigarette smoking on the cardiovascular system, especially regarding nicotine-related hemodynamic effects using cigarettes with low and high nicotine contents. 40 healthy men who were habitual smokers were divided into two groups: 20 subjects smoked cigarettes of low nicotine content [0.4 mg/cigarette; group 1 (G1)] and another 20 tested cigarettes containing high nicotine [2 mg/cigarette; group 2 (G2)]. All of the subjects were requested to abstain from cigarette smoking for at least 12 hours prior to study, and to rest in the supine position for 30 minutes just prior to the test. They smoked two consecutive cigarettes for 10 minutes, inhaling every 30 seconds by drawing on the cigarette for two seconds, and holding the smoke for three seconds before exhaling. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (CO) were measured and blood samples were taken before, and 5, 10 and 30 minutes after the start of smoking. Smoking with a high nicotine content (G2) produced a significant increase in both systolic and diastolic BP (124 +/- 14/78 +/- 8----138 +/- 21/90 +/- 10 mm Hg), but no significant changes in BP were observed in the low nicotine group. HR and CO increased predominantly in both groups (HR: G1; 62 +/- 7----66 +/- 7, G2; 64 +/- 7----76 +/- 9/min, CO: G1; 4.85 +/- 1.36----5.31 +/- 1.37, G2; 4.95 +/- 1.58----5.63 +/- 2.01 l/min), but the present increases were significantly less in G1 than in G2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)