[Nicotine and cardiovascular complications of chronic hypertensive disease]

Cardiovascular complications are the main cause of death in hypertensive patients. They occur more often in tobacco smokers. The effect of nicotine activity is insulin resistance leading to lipid disorders which are risk factor for atherosclerosis. Smoking and hypertension intensify the atherogenic effect of each other. The risk of ischaemic heart disease in a hypertensive smoker is almost 3.5 times greater than in a non-smoker with normal blood pressure at the same serum cholesterol concentration. Nicotine multiplies the risk of cardiovascular complications caused by left ventricular hypertrophy in arterial hypertension. Strokes (ischaemic strokes and subarachnoid haemorrhages) are more common in smokers. Smokers also develop accelerated malignant hypertension more frequently than non-smokers. Smoking is also a risk factor for renal artery stenosis, both atheromatous and fibromuscular.