[Smoking and the status of the cardiorespiratory system in patients with exertion-induced stenocardia]

Oxygen support of exercise was examined in normal subjects and anginal patients, both smokers and non-smokers. In normal subjects, smoking was not associated with significant changes in oxygen consumption and the double product, whereas total output was significantly smaller in the smokers, as compared to the nonsmokers. The smoking patients with angina of effort showed significantly reduced oxygen consumption, coupled with increased myocardial oxygen requirement. Maximum oxygen consumption increased significantly in those anginal patients who gave up smoking.