ANTH 242 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: National Climatic Data Center, Cold Days, Ambulatory Blood Pressure
31 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Smoking and blood pressure history: -by the middle of the 20th century it became evident that cigarette smoking represented a major health hazard, significantly contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The first observational studies conducted after the second world war documented a significantly increased death rate among smokers, in particular for cigarette smokers, as compared to non-smokers. Major causes of death among cigarette smokers were coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. It dramatically showed that in resting conditions, the first cigarette caused an immediate and marked increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which continued for all four cigarettes smoked. The effects were so prologed that throughout the smoking hour, blood pressure and heart rate were persistently higher than during the non-smoking hour. This showed that the rise in blood pressure with smoking persists for more than 15 minutes after smoking one cigarette. Chemical compounds primarily involved in cardiovascular damage: -nicotine and its metabolites (particularly cotinine), carbon monoxide, and thiocyanate.
