Influence of smoking on autonomic functions in light and heavy smokers measured by heart rate variability

Background: Various studies using heart rate variability (HRV) as a tool have found reduced HRV in smokers in comparison with non-smokers. However, not many studies have studied the influence of smoking on HRV in light and heavy smokers calculated by pack years. Aim and Objective: The main aim of this study was to measure and compare the influence of smoking on autonomic functions in male light and heavy cigarette smokers using HRV. Materials and Methods: The present was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Navodaya Medical College, Raichur. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Institutional research ethical committee. This study was conducted among male cigarette smokers with age between 20 and 50 years who were apparently healthy. The selection of subjects participating in the study was done by simple random sampling, the subjects were residents of the Raichur district. The study group subjects were divided into light and heavy smokers considering both the amount and duration of smoking calculated by pack years. HRV was recorded by using the instrument Polygraph (AD instruments, Australia, model noML870). Statistical analysis was done by independent sample t-test to compare between the groups using EPI Info Version 7.0 software. A P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant whereas a P < 0.001 was considered as highly significant. Results: The HRV parameters indicating sympathetic function such as low frequency (LF) component, LF power expressed in normalized unit (LFnu) and LF-HF ratio were significantly increased in heavy smokers in comparison to light smokers, whereas the HRV parameters indicating parasympathetic function such as total power, high frequency (HF) component and HF power expressed in normalized unit (HFnu) were significantly decreased in heavy smokers in comparison to light smokers. Conclusion: Increased sympathetic stimulation associated with a decrease in the cardiac vagal modulation leading to imbalance in the autonomic functions was more in heavy smokers when compared to light smokers.

Necesidad de tratamiento periodontal en diabéticos fumadores y no fumadores y su relación con criterios clínicos

El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la asociación correlacional que pudiera presentarse entre necesidad de tratamiento periodontal con los siguientes criterios clínicos: tiempo de evolución de la diabetes, hábito de fumar, conocimiento de la influencia de la diabetes, presencia de cálculo visible, movilidad dentaria, sangrado al sondaje en diabéticos fumadores y no fumadores que concurren al Programa Nacional de Diabetes del Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social durante los meses de abril a setiembre del 2014. Participaron del estudio 242 sujetos seleccionados al azar y que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. Se realizó un análisis estadístico descriptivo-correlacional estableciéndose como límite de significancia un valor de p<0,05. En cuanto a los resultados se encontró un nivel de correlación significativa (p< 0,05) en conocimiento de la influencia de la diabetes; y muy significativa (p < 0,01) en índice comunitario de hábito de fumar, presencia de cálculo visible, movilidad dentaria y en el sangrado al sondaje. En conclusión, se encontró asociación entre los siguientes criterios clínicos considerados en esta investigación: el hábito de fumar, conocimiento de la influencia de la diabetes, presencia de cálculo visible, movilidad dentaria, sangrado al sondaje en diabéticos fumadores y no fumadores.

The objectiveof this study was to determine the correlation between the need for periodontal treatment and the following clinical criteria considered: time of evolution of diabetes, smoking, knowledge of the influence of diabetes, presence of visible calculus, tooth mobility, bleeding on probing in diabetic smokers and non-smokers attending the National Diabetes Program of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare during the months of April to September, 2014. A total of 242 randomly selected subjects who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. A descriptive-correlational statistical analysis was performed, establishing a p-value <0.05 as the limit of significance. Regarding the results, a significant level of correlation was found (p<0.05) in knowledge of the influence of diabetes and highly significant (p<0.01) in community smoking index, presence of visible calculus, tooth mobility and bleeding on probing. In conclusion, an association was found between the following clinical criteria considered in this research: smoking, knowledge of the influence of diabetes, presence of visible calculus, tooth mobility, bleeding on probing in diabetic smokers and non-smokers.

Study of serum vitamin D2 and calcium in young and middle aged healthy male smokers in rural tertiary care center

Background: Smoking is an essential determinant of various diseases. The study is aimed to understand the influence of smoking on serum vitamin D2/D3 levels and serum calcium levels in healthy young/middle-aged men.Methods: Prospective observational study was done among young and middle-aged healthy male smokers in a rural territory care center. Two hundred patients were studied and analyzed, who fulfill the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <20 ng/ml) was 50.3%. Only 8.8% of the participants had vitamin D sufficiency (25 hydroxyvitamin D ?30 ng/ml). There is a strong correlation between 25(OH)D and smoking in the participants (p<0.001). 25 hydroxyvitamin D level was lower by approximately 4.3 ng/ml (p<0.001) in a smoker compared to a non-smoker among the total participants, this value increased to 9.2 ng/ml in the 40-50y subgroup (p=0.003). A multinomial logistic regression model demonstrated that a young smoker (20-29y) had a 58% increased likelihood of having vitamin D deficiency compared to a non-smoker of the same age group (p=0.041). Irrespective of age and chronicity of smoking, there was a significantly increased level of serum calcium and significant vitamin D2/D3 deficiency in smokers.Conclusion: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was identified in young and middle-aged male smokers, which is not likely to be explained by other confounding lifestyle factors. The depression of the vitamin D-PTH system seen among smokers may represent another potential mechanism for the harmful effects of smoking on the skeleton

Epidemiology Study on P53 (Rs1614984) C>T Mutation in Cigarette Smokers

ABSTRACT Epidemiology data have established that smoking is a prime threat for the cancers, largely lung cancer. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs),P53 SNPs have been found to be associated with the predisposition of different cancers. Their decreased expression is reported in breast and lung cancer patients. p53 (rs1614984) had been reported to be linked with the SNPs found associated with breast cancer. The primary aim of this study to determine the association of p53 variant rs1614984 with the cigarette smokers and smoking related cancers in smokers. Among the smokers, 38% were found with CC genotype, 55% were heterozygous CT and 7% were TT, respectively. The homozygous TT genotype was seen in lower percentage of smokers (7%) when compared to non-smokers (8%) whereas; Significant difference was not observed when encompassed by CC, CT and TT genotypes (χ2 = 4.892, p=0.087). However, CC vs CT genotype showed a significant difference between smokers and non-smokers (p=0.031, OR 1.447 (1.035-2.025) and the dominant model CC vs CT+TT was also significantly different among smoker and non-smokers (p=0.047, OR 1.39 (1.004-1.924). Furthermore, smokers are at the risk of developing variety of diseases including lung cancer. Our finding suggests a higher percentage of heterozygous CT genotype in smokers when compared to non-smokers. Therefore, this finding gives a clue that the transition mutation of C>T (rs1614984) may leads to the lung diseases including cancer in smokers. However, there will be a need of more extensive and elaborated study to set down the aspect of p53(rs1614984) C>T in lung cancer among smokers.

Studies on oxidative stress induced nerve conduction deficits in cigarette smokers.

An important role of oxidative stress for the development of vascular and neurological complications has encouraged us to undertake a study to assess the oxidative stress induced nerve conduction deficits among cigarette smokers. Eighteen regular male cigarette smokers and twenty nine male non - smokers were diagnosed for clinical neuro-physiological tests viz., motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity (MNCV and SNCV) and redox status. Significant depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) level (p < 0.05) and significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level (p < 0.01) was found in smokers compared to non - smokers. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity showed no significant difference among smokers compared to non - smokers. The present study shows that smoking can induce oxidative stress among smokers but could not exacerbate to nerve conduction deficits.

Alcohol intake and cigarette smoking: Impact of two major lifestyle factors on male fertility.

Context: Lifestyle factors, like alcohol intake and cigarette smoking, have been reported to affect male fertility. Aims: To find out the specific impact of alcohol and smoking on semen quality of male partners of couples seeking treatment for primary infertility. Materials and Methods: From the semen samples analyzed in our andrology laboratory, results of 100 alcoholics and 100 cigarette smoker males were studied following WHO guidelines and compared with 100 strict nonalcoholic and nonsmoker males for presence of asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia and teratozoospermia. Statistical Analysis: Data was analyzed by F- test using Microsoft Office Excel 2003. Results: Only 12% alcoholics and six per cent smokers showed normozoospermia compared to 37 % nonalcoholic nonsmoker males. Teratozoospermia, followed by oligozoospermia dominated alcoholics. Overall impact of asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia, but not of oligozoospermia, was observed in smokers. Light smokers predominantly showed asthenozoospermia. Heavy alcoholics and smokers showed asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia as well as oligozoospermia. Conclusions: Asthenozoospermia, the most common semen variable in our study, can be an early indicator of reduction in quality of semen. Alcohol abuse apparently targets sperm morphology and sperm production. Smoke-induced toxins primarily hamper sperm motility and seminal fluid quality. Progressive deterioration in semen quality is related to increasing quantity of alcohol intake and cigarettes smoked.

Altered biochemistry substances, hematocrit and white blood cell count in cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers.

The level of glucose, uric acid, cholesterol triglycerides and transminase (SGOT and SGPT) and also hematological data of hematocrit and white cell count of 1,542 workers age ranging from 35-53 years who came for physical check up during B.E. 2532 – 2534 were analysed for the groups of smokers, drinkers and smokers together with drinkers. All the three groups have significantly high level of biochemistry substances, hematocrit and white cell count than normal group (p < 0.005) except HDL-Cholesterol which is significantly lower than the normal group (p < 0.005). However, the white cell count of habitual drinkers and cholesterol level in smokers together with drinkers have no significantly different from the normal. We categorie the number of cigarette smoked by both questionnaires and the thiocyanate levels, and found the serum thiocyanate levels correlates with the number of cigarette smoked (p < 0.001).

Relationship of lung cancer and cigarette smokers in Northern Thailand (The study compares smoking and non smoking groups).

The incidence of lung cancer in smoker with a habit up to 20 year duration was found to be 29 times higher among the smokers. Smoker of not more than 20 years have a 9 times greater risk of contracting lung cancer than nonsmoker. Smoker with a habit of 21-40 year duration have a 30 times greater risk of lung cancer than the nonsmoker, (if smoking over 41-46 year duration, the risk of lung cancer will increase to 47 times). Smokers with a habit of over 41 year duration will have a 47 times greater risk. In conclusion the higher incidence of lung cancer is closely related to the duration of smoking.