Abstract

RODRIGUEZ PERON, José Miguel; MORA, Salvador R.; ACOSTA CABRERA, Erick  and  MENENDEZ LOPEZ, José R.. Repercusión negativa del tabaquismo en la evolución clínica de la enfermedad cardiovascular aterosclerótica. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2004, vol.33, n.2. ISSN 0138-6557.

An observational and analytical case-control study was made to set the influence of the smoking risk gradient on the clinical control of blood hypertension as a potential determining atherogenic association in the clinical evolution of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The inclusion criteria took into consideration smoking persons with confirmed diagnosis of essential blood hypertension, aged 15-60 years regardless of race or sex, and detected in the year 2002 at primary health care. Hypertensives with other concomitant coronary risks, and those who did not attend regularly to medical appointments for their classification or refused to participate in the research were all excluded. Smoking gradient was set in relation to the number of cigarettes daily consumed, so smokers were broken down as light (1-9 cigarettes/day); moderate (10-15 cigarettes/day) and heavy (over 15 per day). Eighty nine patients, 78 males (87,6 %) and 11 females (12,4 %), were studied of whom 28 (31,4 %) were slight, 37 (41,6 %) moderate and 24 (27 %) heavy smokers. 60,6 % (54 cases) were Caucasian whereas 39,4 % (35 cases) were Black. The prevalence of the clinical control of hypertension was 100 % among light smokers; however it was very low in moderate and heavy smokers (2,7/100) and (0/100) respectively, so lack of control was significantly remarkable. A substantial rise in blood pressure accompanies the act of smoking a cigarette and those that continue smoking will not receive the total protection that antihypertensive therapy provides against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is fundamental to avoid smoking in any of its variants and in all age groups.

Keywords : Hypertension; smoking; atherosclerosis.