Passive Smoke Test Identifies Cell Damage

Newswise — Exposure to passive smoking followed by brachial ultrasonography is a safe and highly specific test for predicting blood cell damage and atherosclerotic lesions, researchers reported at the American Society of Hypertension's Nineteenth Annual Scientific Meeting. "This test predicts endothelial dysfunction (cells inside blood vessels) and atherosclerotic lesions," said Aurelio Leone, MD, head, consultant cardiologist of territorial medicine, La Spezia, and Cardio-thoracic Department, University of Pise, Italy. "Endothelial dysfunction must be considered the 'door' to hypertension and atherosclerosis." Commonly referred to as the silent killer, untreated hypertension prematurely ages the body's arteries and can lead to strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure, often without warning. "Although opinion was not unanimous, prolonged exposure to tobacco smoke has been considered a potentially strong hazard to the heart and blood vessels," Dr. Leone said. "This discrepancy was mainly due to the lack of reproducible results from different studies." The Italian researchers compared 18 healthy volunteers who never smoked with 10 never smokers who had suffered an acute myocardial infarction. The study subjects underwent brachial ultrasonography twice " once in a smoke-free environment and then in the same environment polluted by cigarette combustion (30-35 ppm of carbon monoxide concentration). Since each person performed the same procedure twice, reproducibility of results was guaranteed, as each test subject was a test and control during 30 minutes of exercise stress testing in a smoke-free and passive smoking environment. "A strong correlation between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and endothelial dysfunction was observed in both groups," Dr. Leone said. "The post-acute myocardial infarction group also showed endothelium-independent vasodilation worsening that is usually due to arterial wall alterations.

"Thirty minute exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in an atmosphere polluted by carbon monoxide concentration from cigarette combustion, followed by echographic measure of brachial artery response provides a safe and accurate determination of endothelial-dependent vasodilation," he noted. "This procedure should be carefully standardized."

The American Society of Hypertension (ASH) is the largest US organization devoted exclusively to hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases. ASH is committed to alerting physicians, allied health professionals and the public about new medical options, facts, research findings and treatment choices designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.