Tobacco Exposure and its Possible Electrocardiographic Changes in Female Beedi Rollers in Tirunelveli District

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Around 5 million female beedi workers in India are rolling beedi for 6–12 h and handling 225–450 g of beeditobacco/day in a poor household environment. Beedi tobacco dust gets absorbed through the cutaneous and pharyngealroute. Nicotine, the main component, is a potent cardiac myocyte, A-type potassium channel inhibitor. Nicotine, a potentarrhythmogenic agent, causes electrophysiological disturbances such as shortened QTc and prolonged T-wave end (Tp-e)interval, by prolonging ventricular repolarization time. Nicotine accelerates atherogenesis also. Very few Indian studies areavailable to highlight this aspect.Aim: This study aims to observe the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in female beedi rollers in Tirunelveli district.Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 35 female beedi rollers, aged between 20 and 50 years, rollingbeedi for at least 5 years. Blood pressure and ECGs were performed on all subjects following standard operating procedure.Heart rate, QTc, and Tp-e intervals were measured.Results: The mean age of beedi rollers is 45.75 ± 7.1 years with mean years of exposure of 19.70 ± 8.05 years rolling 22.8 ± 8.54beedi bundles/day. There is no correlation found in systolic and diastolic pressure. Mean QTc interval was 432 ± 23.6 ms, meanTp-e interval is 79.47 ± 3.2 ms; there is no correlation in the duration of beedi rolling with ECG parameters.Conclusion: Beedi tobacco (nicotine) exposure is associated with risk of accelerated atherogenesis and arrhythmogenesis,but in our study, beedi rollers are not showing changes in ECG.