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Smoking, calcium, calcium antagonists, and aging.

V Nicita-Mauro¹

¹Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Messina, Italy.

Experimental Gerontology

|January 1, 1990

Summary

Smoking increases arterial calcium and blood pressure. Calcium channel blockers and calcitonin prevent these effects, suggesting smoking-induced vasoconstriction is calcium-mediated.

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Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Medicine
Pharmacology
Gerontology

Background:

Aging increases arterial calcium content, exacerbated by conditions like hypertension and smoking.
Cigarette smoking is known to cause peripheral vasoconstriction and elevated blood pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of calcium ions in vasoconstriction caused by acute smoking.
To evaluate the effects of calcium-channel antagonist nifedipine and calcitonin on smoking-induced vascular changes.

Main Methods:

Peripheral vascular effects were studied in 12 elderly smokers (mean age 65.8 years).
Participants received either nifedipine (10 mg sublingually) or salmon calcitonin (100 MRC U/daily IM for 3 days) before smoking.
Peripheral vasoconstriction was assessed using Doppler velocimetry; blood pressure was also monitored.

Main Results:

Both nifedipine and salmon calcitonin effectively prevented peripheral vasoconstriction induced by smoking.
These interventions also inhibited the increase in blood pressure associated with smoking.
Doppler velocimetry confirmed the reduction in vasoconstrictive effects.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that cigarette smoking-induced vasoconstriction is a calcium-mediated process.
Drugs with calcium antagonist properties, like nifedipine, can hinder these adverse vascular effects.
Calcitonin also demonstrated efficacy in mitigating smoking-induced vasoconstriction and hypertension.

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