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Smoking status and the electrocardiogram: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study
Archives of Environmental Health
|November 1, 1982
Summary
Cigarette smoking accelerates electrocardiogram (ECG) changes typically associated with aging. Smokers showed faster decreases in R, S, and T wave amplitudes compared to non-smokers, suggesting smoking modifies age-related ECG alterations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Aging is associated with specific electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns, including axis shifts and reduced wave amplitudes.
- Previous research on smoking's ECG effects yielded varied results, with some studies suggesting impacts on T wave amplitude and frontal plane axis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of cigarette smoking on ECG measurements.
- To determine if smoking modifies age-related ECG changes.
Main Methods:
- Serial ECG recordings were analyzed from 702 healthy men (aged 23-74) in the Normative Aging Study, taken 5 years apart.
- Participants were categorized as current smokers (N=291), former smokers (N=203), or never smokers (N=208).
Main Results:
- Current smokers had shorter P-R intervals at baseline compared to former or never smokers.
- Longitudinally, smokers exhibited greater rates of decrease in R, S, and T wave amplitudes than non-smokers.
Conclusions:
- Smoking accelerates the decline in ECG wave amplitudes, a change often attributed to aging.
- These findings indicate that cigarette smoking can modify the electrocardiographic manifestations of aging.