Secondhand tobacco smoke and smoke from cooking oil and wood smoke affected cardiovascular function of men and women who were exposed to small doses of the smoke for as little as 10 minutes, according to a study from the University of Kentucky.
The study confirmed previous findings that tobacco smoke could possibly harm cardiovascular function. In addition, it extended those findings by showing that:
- cardiovascular responses during brief exposures were similar to those found during longer or higher-level exposures
- the response occurs with different types of smoke (tobacco, cooking oil and wood smoke)
- men respond to environmental tobacco smoke with a greater increase in indexes of sympathetic outflow to blood vessels than do women
The sympathetic nervous system produces the “fight or flight” response, which drives the heart and blood pressure and may cause damage if activated too long. Women respond with a greater parasympathetic response, dubbed “rest and digest,” which acts as a brake on the heart and blood pressure.
The study, Autonomic responses of men and women to particulate exposures, was conducted by researchers from the University of Kentucky, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Eric Hartman of CustomKYnetics, Inc.
Accumulating evidence indicates that an increase in air pollution is associated with an increase in heart attacks and deaths. These pollutants, including tobacco and cooking oil smoke, contain fine particles that evoke responses from heart and blood vessels indicating effects on their function.
The study found that, particularly among men, exposure to smoke changed breathing patterns, raised blood pressure oscillations in peripheral arteries and shifted control of heart rate toward sympathetic domination. The sympathetic nervous system becomes active during times of stress, but can cause harm to the heart and blood vessels if activated too often or too long.
Women did not have a strong sympathetic response to the pollutants, a healthier response in the face of frequent exposure. That men would respond differently is not a surprise: women tend to have stronger parasympathetic responses, which are more protective of the cardiovascular system.
The study confirmed previous findings that tobacco smoke could possibly harm cardiovascular function. In addition, it extended those findings by showing that:
- cardiovascular responses during brief exposures were similar to those found during longer or higher-level exposures
- the response occurs with different types of smoke (tobacco, cooking oil and wood smoke)
- men respond to environmental tobacco smoke with a greater increase in indexes of sympathetic outflow to blood vessels than do women
The sympathetic nervous system produces the “fight or flight” response, which drives the heart and blood pressure and may cause damage if activated too long. Women respond with a greater parasympathetic response, dubbed “rest and digest,” which acts as a brake on the heart and blood pressure.
The study, Autonomic responses of men and women to particulate exposures, was conducted by researchers from the University of Kentucky, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Eric Hartman of CustomKYnetics, Inc.
Accumulating evidence indicates that an increase in air pollution is associated with an increase in heart attacks and deaths. These pollutants, including tobacco and cooking oil smoke, contain fine particles that evoke responses from heart and blood vessels indicating effects on their function.
The study found that, particularly among men, exposure to smoke changed breathing patterns, raised blood pressure oscillations in peripheral arteries and shifted control of heart rate toward sympathetic domination. The sympathetic nervous system becomes active during times of stress, but can cause harm to the heart and blood vessels if activated too often or too long.
Women did not have a strong sympathetic response to the pollutants, a healthier response in the face of frequent exposure. That men would respond differently is not a surprise: women tend to have stronger parasympathetic responses, which are more protective of the cardiovascular system.