A single cigarette can affect heart function

July 13, 2001

SEATTLE, Jul 06 (Reuters Health) - Smoking just one cigarette can cause an

abrupt change in the function of the heart's key pumping chamber, according

to research presented here last week at the 12th Annual Scientific Sessions

of the American Society of Echocardiography.

Dr. Firas A. Ghanem and colleagues at the Brody School of Medicine of East

Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, suspected that smoking

might immediately, but transiently, impair the function of the left

ventricle-the heart's key pumping chamber--between heart muscle

contractions. This impairment, also called LV diastolic dysfunction, has

been linked to shortness of breath.

Cigarettes did indeed cause changes in left ventricle function, but nicotine

chewing gum did not, suggesting that other chemicals act in conjunction with

nicotine to cause heart problems, the researchers note.

Ghanem and his colleagues evaluated the effects of smoking and nicotine gum

on 27 healthy people. None had any evidence of heart disease, and none were

taking any medications.

People were divided into two groups. One group smoked a single cigarette and

the second group chewed nicotine gum for 15 minutes. Before and after

exposure to either gum or the cigarette, the researchers used a Doppler

echocardiogram to measure the blood flow in the heart. Doppler

echocardiograms use sound waves to produce images of structures within the

body.

In the cigarette group, there were differences in several measures of heart

blood flow, but no changes were noted in the second group, before or after

chewing nicotine gum.

There were limitations to the study, Ghanem pointed out. The number of

patients was small and nicotine levels were not measured. Also, the changes

in heart function observed didn't meet clinical criteria for dysfunction of

the left ventricle, Ghanem noted.

" In conclusion, immediately after smoking a single cigarette, LV diastolic

function, as measured by Doppler echo, significantly worsens, " Ghanem said.

" Chewing nicotine gum does not seem to have the same effect. "

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