THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON HEART-RATE AND BLOOD-PRESSURE - AN AMBULATORY STUDY

Under laboratory conditions smoking has been found to acutely increase blood pressure and heart rate in healthy subjects. Little is known about the short-term effect of smoking under more naturalistic conditions when subjects are engaged in various activities. In this study, the short-term effects of smoking on blood pressure and heart rate in natural settings were investigated in a group of healthy smokers. The degree to which these effects are moderated by other factors known to affect the cardiovascular system was investigated as well. Subjects (eight males, seven females) were dispatchers in the greater Los Angeles area. They wore an ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitor on two workdays for a total of 48 h. The present study confirmed that the acute effects of smoking on blood pressure and heart rate under natural conditions are similar to results from laboratory studies. Smoking acutely increased blood pressure and heart rate. Male and female smokers displayed similar cardiovascular reactivity to smoking. There was no indication of development of intraday tolerance. The acute action of smoking on blood pressure and heart rate was additive to the influence of posture on the cardiovascular system.