Subtle right ventricular dysfunction in asymptomatic chronic heavy cigarette smokers: a speckle tracking case-control...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Chronic heavy cigarette smoking is prevalent and linked to cardiovascular issues.
• Standard echocardiography may fail to detect early right ventricular dysfunction.
• A sensitive method is needed to assess subclinical effects of smoking on the right ventricle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the subtle subclinical effects of chronic heavy cigarette smoking on right ventricular function.
• To compare right ventricular function between healthy smokers and non-smokers using advanced echocardiography.

Main Methods:

• Included 55 healthy chronic heavy smokers (≥5 pack-years, ≥1 pack/day) and 35 non-smokers.
• Utilized conventional and 2D-speckle tracking transthoracic echocardiography of the right ventricle.
• Compared clinical assessment and echocardiographic data between the two groups.

Main Results:

• Smokers and non-smokers had similar conventional right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions.
• Smokers exhibited significantly impaired right ventricular global longitudinal strain (-19.0 ± 3.2% vs. -24.5 ± 3.5%, p < 0.001).
• Higher daily cigarette consumption correlated with poorer right ventricular global longitudinal strain (p = 0.014).

Conclusions:

• Chronic heavy cigarette smoking adversely affects right ventricular function.
• These subclinical changes are often missed by conventional echocardiography.
• 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography is a more sensitive tool for detecting smoking-induced right ventricular dysfunction.