Cigarette smoking in military pilots and intima-media thickness of the carotid arteries

Abstract

Background. It is well known that smoking is associated with an increase in arterial wall thickness. However, most studies of this problem have been undertaken in age and sex heterogeneous groups, as well as in patients with already present other conventional risk factors. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cigarette smoking on arterial wall thickness of the common carotid artery in asymptomatic pilots. Methods. The imaging of intima−media thickness of the posterior wall of the distal 1 cm of both common carotid arteries was performed using a B mode ultrasound device, in 39 pilots (37.05 ± 6.66 years), for whom smoking was the single cardiovascular risk factor. Comparisons were made with 49 non-smokers (35.12 ± 7.39 years). Results. The posterior walls of both common carotid arteries were thicker in smokers (left, p < 0.05; right, p > 0,05). Intima-media thickness was significantly lower on the right side than on the left side in both smokers and nonsmokers (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Cigarette smoking as the single cardiovascular risk factor was associated with the wall thickness of the carotid arteries in our study. This finding indicated that early atherosclerosis was already present in pilots - smokers entering middle age.

Keywords

• smoking
• cardiovascular diseases
• arteriosclerosis
• ultrasonography
• risk factors
• carotid artery
• common
• tunica media
• tunica intima
• militarypersonnel