Influence of smoking and hypertension on left ventricular mass.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was designed to observe the influence of smoking and hypertension on left ventricular mass (LVM), both individual and the combined effect.

METHODS

This study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur. Hundred patients were included in the study. They were divided into four groups--non smoker normotensives, non-smoker hypertensives, smoker normotensives and smoker hypertensives. They were also divided into smokers and nonsmokers and hypertensives and normotensive. Patients of age group 31-65 years of both sexes were chosen. Patients with secondary hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, cardiomyopathies, valvular heart disease women on oral contraceptives were excluded from the study on the basis of history and relevant laboratory tests. An M-mode echocardiography was done and the LV mass was calculated by the formula proposed by Devereux et al. LV mass = 0.8 [1.04 (IVSd + LVIDd + LVPWd)3 - (LVIDd)3] + 0.6 gms

RESULTS

The mean LV mass (in gms) in the four groups of nonsmoker normotensives, nonsmoker hypertensives, smoker normotensives and smoker hypertensives are 106.77 +/- 25.78, 165.3 +/- 42.55, 154.53 +/- 24.6 and 228.78 +/- 56.88 respectively. The comparison of mean LV mass (in gms) of smokers and nonsmokers were 191.66 +/- 40.74 and 136.04 +/- 36.16 (P < 0.001) respectively. The comparison of the mean LV mass (in gms) of hypertensives and nonhypertensives were 197.25 +/- 49.72 and 126.29 +/- 25.19 (P < 0.001) respectively. Comparison of the mean LV mass (in gms) of patient with two risk factors i.e., smokers hypertensives with patients without any risk factor i.e., nonsmoker normotensive were 228.78 +/- 56.88 and 106.77 +/- 25.78 (P < 0.001) respectively. While comparison of the mean LV mass (in gms) of patients with one risk factor each i.e., smoker normotensives and nonsmoker hypertensives were 165.3 +/- 42.55 and 154.53 +/- 24.6 (P < 0.05) respectively.

CONCLUSION

Both smoking and hypertension cause an increase in LV mass, hypertension causing a more increase, than smoking, individually. Both smoking and hypertension combine together to increase the LV mass, more than either of them individually. Smoking by itself can cause an increase in LV mass independent of hypertension.