Acute cigarette smoking impairs microvascular function in young moderate smokers: A potential model for studying vasoactive properties of food bioactives

• The impact of acute cigarette smoking on endothelial function, arterial stiffness and blood pressure was evaluated in young healthy smokers.
• Smoking impaired endothelial function (measured by PAT technology), blood pressure and heart rate, but it did not affect arterial stiffness.
• The model could be exploited to study the role of dietary vasoactive compounds in counteracting endothelial dysfunction and blood pressure in human volunteers.

It has been suggested that several dietary compounds may improve endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress induced by smoking. We investigated the effects of acute smoking on blood pressure, heart rate (HR), peripheral arterial function (reactive hyperemia index, RHI), and arterial stiffness in young smokers by Endo-PAT2000. Twenty subjects that smoked an average of 15 cigarettes per day participated in the study. Reactive Hyperemia Index, arterial stiffness, blood pressure and HR were assessed before and after smoking one cigarette. Acute smoking significantly reduced RHI by 28% while increased arterial systolic (+14%) and diastolic (+10%) blood pressure and HR (+13%) at 5 min, while no effect was observed after 30 min. Arterial stiffness was not significantly affected. A significant, positive correlation was found between total serum cholesterol concentration and post-smoking arterial stiffness values. This study demonstrates that acute cigarette smoking impairs RHI and vital signs in young moderate smokers as evaluated through a non-invasive technique. Additionally, the experimental model described, where a decrease of RHI is induced by cigarette smoking, may be useful to study the impact of dietary vasoactive compounds on endothelial function.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide