Evaluating ECG and carboxyhemoglobin changes due to smoking narghile

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Toxicology
• Public Health

Background:

• Narghile (hookah) smoking is a traditional tobacco use method often perceived as less harmful than cigarettes.
• However, concerns exist regarding its potential cardiovascular effects due to smoke composition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if narghile smoking leads to elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHB) levels.
• To determine if narghile smoking induces electrocardiographic (ECG) changes associated with fatal ventricular dysrhythmias, such as QT and Tp-Te dispersion.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving healthy volunteers at a narghile café.
• 12-lead ECGs, COHB levels, and vital signs were recorded before and after 30 minutes of narghile smoking.

Main Results:

• Narghile smoking caused a statistically significant increase in median COHB levels from 1.3% to 23.7% (p < 0.001).
• Significant increases in QT, QTc, P-wave, and Tp-Te dispersion were observed post-smoking (p < 0.001 for all).

Conclusions:

• Narghile smoking leads to substantial increases in COHB levels.
• The study demonstrates that narghile use induces ECG changes linked to ventricular dysrhythmias, refuting its perceived safety.