Relation of salivary cotinine to blood pressure in middle-aged cigarette smokers

Association between Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Hypertension in 106,268 Korean Self-Reported Never-Smokers Verified by Cotinine

No study has reported the relationship between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and hypertension in self-reported never-smokers verified by nicotine metabolite. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between SHS exposure and hypertension in self-reported and cotinine-verified never-smokers. A total of 106,268 self-reported never-smokers, verified as nonsmokers by urinary cotinine, who participated in Kangbuk Samsung Cohort study (KSCS) between 2012 and 2016 were included. Cotinine-verified nonsmokers were defined as individuals having urinary cotinine <50 ng/mL. SHS exposure was defined as current exposure to passive smoke indoors at home or the workplace. The multivariate regression model revealed that SHS exposure was associated with hypertension (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)), 1.16 (1.08, 1.24)). Current SHS exposure that has been exposed to home SHS (1.22 (1.11, 1.33)) as well as current SHS exposure only at the workplace (1.15 (1.02, 1.29)) significantly increased the ORs for hypertension compared to no SHS exposure. There was no significant gender interaction for the relationships between SHS exposure and hypertension. This study showed that SHS exposure was significantly associated with hypertension in self-reported never-smokers verified as nonsmokers by urinary cotinine, suggesting necessity of health program and stricter smoking regulation to reduce the risk of hypertension.

A Comparison of Oral Sensory Effects of Three TRPA1 Agonists in Young Adult Smokers and Non-smokers

This study profiled intra-oral somatosensory and vasomotor responses to three different transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, subfamily A, member 1 (TRPA1) agonists (menthol, nicotine, and cinnamaldehyde) in smoking and non-smoking young adults. Healthy non-smokers (N = 30) and otherwise healthy smokers (N = 25) participated in a randomized, double-blinded, cross-over study consisting of three experimental sessions in which they received menthol (30 mg), nicotine (4 mg), or cinnamaldehyde (25 mg) chewing gum. Throughout a standardized 10 min chewing regime, burning, cooling, and irritation intensities, and location were recorded. In addition, blood pressure, heart rate and intra-oral temperature were assessed before, during, and after chewing. Basal intra-oral temperature was lower in smokers (35.2°C ± 1.58) as compared to non-smokers (35.9°C ± 1.61) [F_{(1, 52)} = 8.5, P = 0.005, post hoc, p = 0.005]. However, the increase in temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure in response to chewing menthol, nicotine, and cinnamaldehyde gums were similar between smokers and non-smokers. Although smoking status did not influence the intensity of burning, cooling, and irritation, smokers did report nicotine burn more often (92%) than non-smokers (63%) [χ(1, N=55)2 = 6.208, P = 0.013]. Reports of nicotine burn consistently occurred at the back of the throat and cinnamaldehyde burn on the tongue. The cooling sensation of menthol was more widely distributed in the mouth of non-smokers as compared to smokers. Smoking alters thermoregulation, somatosensory, and possibly TRPA1 receptor responsiveness and suggests that accumulated exposure of nicotine by way of cigarette smoke alters oral sensory and vasomotor sensitivity.

The prevalence of hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia in individuals of over 30 years of age belonging to minorities from the pasture area of Xinjiang

Background

The prevalence of population-wide hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia has not been well studied in the pasture area of Xinjiang. The present epidemiological study was performed to determine the prevalence of hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia in minority populations from the pasture area of Xinjiang and to discuss the potential risk factors for hypertension.

Methods

A population-based, cross-sectional study in the Xinjiang pasture area was performed which included 2251 participants aged over 30 years (90.33% participation rate) of whom 71.26% were Kazaks. Several risk factors were considered: hypertension (defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure or both of at least 140/90 mmHg measured on one occasion or treatment for hypertension) overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m²) alcohol intake, smoking/tobacco use and dyslipidemia. Outcomes were prevalence of hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia and the associated risk factors of hypertension detected by multivariate logistic regression analysis taking into account various metabolic and lifestyle characteristics.

Results

The prevalence of hypertension, overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia in all participants from the pasture area of Xinjiang was 51.9%, 47.9% and 49.2% respectively. Independently, the prevalence and awareness of hypertension was 52.6% and 15.3% among Kazaks (n = 1604), 54.6% and 14.1% among Uygurs (n = 418), 39.5% and 16.1% among Mongolians (n = 81) and 43.9% and 18.2% among non-Xinjiang-born Han immigrants (n = 148). The prevalence of overweight/obesity in Kazaks, Uygurs, Mongolians and Han immigrants was 46.7%, 48.9%, 62.5% and 50.3%, respectively. The prevalence of dyslipidemia in the four ethnic groups mentioned was 53.5%, 34.8%, 49.3% and 47.3%, respectively. The mean blood pressure in all participants was 136/86 mmHg (pre-hypertensive), the mean BMI was 24.7 kg/m². Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, the significant risk factors for hypertension were age [1.07(1.06-1.09), P < 0.0001], overweight/obesity [overweight: 1.61(1.22-2.13), p = 0.0007; obesity: 1.95 (1.33-2.87), p = 0.0007], hypercholesterolemia [1.30(1.15-1.47), p < 0.0001] and an alcohol intake of over 30 g/day [2.22(1.43-3.45), p = 0.0004].

Conclusions

The considerably high prevalence of hypertension, overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia among the minority population aged over 30 from the pasture area of Xinjiang calls for effective preventive measures. Age, increased body mass index, hypercholesterolemia and ≥30 g/d alcohol intake can be counted as risk factors for hypertension, but further genetic or environmental clarification would be desirable to explain the unusually high prevalence of the conditions mentioned above.

Smoking as an independent risk factor for hypertension: a 14-year longitudinal study in male Japanese workers

There have been few large longitudinal studies on the relationship between smoking and blood pressure and those results have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of smoking on the onset of hypertension. A 14-year longitudinal study was conducted in Japanese male workers at a steel company between 1991 and 2005. We adopted three different endpoints of observation, hypertension [systolic blood pressure (SBP) >or= 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >or= 90 mmHg], systolic hypertension (SBP >or= 140 mmHg), and diastolic hypertension (DBP >or= 90 mmHg), with initiation of antihypertensive medication. The cohort for each endpoint (hypertension: n = 5,512, systolic hypertension: n = 5,765, diastolic hypertension: n = 6,063) was selected, excluding the subjects whose blood pressure was higher than above criteria at their first health examination from all 8,251 workers. The strict criteria for hypertension resulted in exclusion of more subjects, yielding smaller cohort for hypertension. The association between smoking and each endpoint was investigated adjusting for age, body mass index, drinking, habitual exercise, job schedule type, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, creatinine, aspartic aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and uric acid by pooled logistic regression analyses. The significant odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) of smoking were 1.13 (1.03 to 1.23) for hypertension and 1.15 (1.05 to 1.25) for systolic hypertension. This study revealed that smoking is independently related to the onset of hypertension and systolic hypertension in Japanese male workers. These results provide important information necessary to define the effect of smoking on blood pressure.

Modification of the association of alcohol drinking with blood pressure by cigarette smoking

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the association of alcohol drinking with blood pressure was modified by cigarette smoking. The subjects were healthy male workers aged 40-59 years and were divided into three different groups by average daily consumption of alcohol (non-drinkers; light drinkers, less than 30 g ethanol per day; heavy drinkers, 30 g or more ethanol per day) and cigarettes (non-smokers; light smokers, less than 20 cigarettes per day; heavy smokers, 20 cigarettes or more per day). The mean levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in the light and heavy smoker groups than in the non-smoker group. In the light and heavy smoker groups, systolic blood pressure was higher in the light drinker subgroup than in the non-drinker subgroup, while there was no significant difference between systolic blood pressures in the non- and light drinker subgroups of non-smokers. In the non-, light and heavy smoker groups, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the heavy drinker subgroup than in the non-drinker subgroup, and these differences tended to be greater in light and heavy smokers than in non-smokers. The above differences in the relationships of alcohol drinking with blood pressure in non-, light and heavy smokers were also observed when age and body mass index were adjusted and when alcohol intake-matched groups were used. These results suggest that the association of alcohol drinking with blood pressure is stronger in smokers than in non-smokers, independently of age, body mass index and alcohol intake.

An association between smoking habits and blood pressure in normotensive Japanese men: a 5-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND

There are few studies on the effects of smoking on blood pressure (BP) that consider confounding factors such as age, obesity, lifestyle and blood chemistry. As such, we conducted a 5-year follow-up study to clarify the effects of smoking habits on blood pressure in normotensive Japanese men.

METHODS

The subjects were 2107 normotensive male steelworkers aged 40-54 years. They were classified using three indices: smoking habits in 1990, changes in smoking habits, and changes in amount of smoking. The associations between these indices and changes in blood pressure were evaluated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). As analyses, BMI, salt intake, physical activity, drinking habit, and results of blood chemistry in 1990 and their changes, age and blood pressure in 1990 were used as covariates.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of hypertension in smokers was lower than in non- and ex-smokers. The adjusted mean of change in blood pressure of smokers was significantly lower than in non- and ex-smokers. No significant difference between non-smokers and ex-smokers, or among groups of smokers who varied their amount of smoking was observed.

CONCLUSION

Chronic smoking reduces changes in blood pressure and 5-year cumulative incidence of hypertension. However, no significant dose-dependent effect of smoking on changes in blood pressure was observed.

An association between smoking habits and blood pressure in normotensive Japanese men

We conducted a cross-sectional study to clarify the dose-effect relationship of smoking habits with blood pressure in Japanese men. The subjects were 2781 normotensive male steelworkers ranging in age from 40 to 54 years. They were classified into five categories according to their smoking habits: non-smokers, ex-smokers, light smokers, moderate smokers and heavy smokers. Age, body mass index, salt intake, physical activity, drinking habits, and levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total serum cholesterol, uric acid, creatinine and plasma glucose were analysed as covariates. The association between smoking habits and blood pressure was evaluated using analysis of covariance. Our results showed that there was no significant difference in the adjusted systolic and diastolic blood pressure between non-smokers and ex-smokers. The adjusted systolic and diastolic blood pressures in light, moderate and heavy smokers were significantly lower than in non- and ex-smokers. However, among smokers, no significant difference was observed in correlation with smoking amount. In conclusion, blood pressure of smokers was lower than that of non- and ex-smokers. However, there were no significant dose-effect relationships between smoking amount and blood pressure when lifestyle and other confounding factors were considered.