RESUMO
AIMS: The goal of this study was to investigate the changes in arterial stiffness by evaluation of arterial stiffness index and pulse wave velocity in community dwelling tobacco user females and to correlate those changes with duration of tobacco use, amount consumed and severity of addiction. METHODS: This observational cohort study was conducted in Department of Medicine at Dr. S N Medical College, Jodhpur, comprised of 100 females, out of which 55 were community dwelling females using tobacco (cases) and 45 are age-sex matched healthy control group. Out of 55 tobacco user females 21 (38%) were smoker and 34 [62%] were smokeless tobacco user. Pulse wave velocity and arterial stiffness index were evaluated by means of an 8-channel real-time PC-based simultaneous acquisition and analysis system (Periscope). RESULTS: Average C-F PWV in tobacco user female was 1327 +/- 515.2 as compared to 796 +/- 157.3 in control and average ASI was 71 +/- 20.9 in tobacco user female as compared to 62 +/- 13.9 in control that is statistically significant (p < or = .05). Both C-F PWV and ASI were significantly higher in tobacco user than control. Average C-F PWV in smoker group is 1683 +/- 566.7 as compared to 1108 +/-387.9 in smokeless group. Average ASI is 76 +/- 22.9 in smoker group as compared to 66 +/- 18.9 in smokeless tobacco user group. Both C-F PWV and ASI were higher in smoker group than smokeless group that is statistically significant (P Value 0.0018). CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that PWV and ASI are increased in tobacco user females and they are independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity. Tobacco use either smoking or smokeless causes Atherovascular diseases. Smoking is more prone to increase atherosclerosis and cardiovascular morbidity in comparison to smokeless tobacco use.