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That cigarette smoking causes heart attacks is a well-known fact. However, now health experts have found that the consumption of smokeless tobacco, which has so far been linked only with oral cancer, can be fatal for the heart too.
In a first of its kind study published in the latest edition of American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, researchers from India’s premier health institution, AIIMS, have indicated that smokeless tobacco consumption can be as harmful as smoking a cigarette, by increasing heartbeats and constricting arteries, ultimately causing cardiovascular risk.
“Chewing tobacco led to an acute increase in heart rate — from around 68.3 beats/minutes to 80.6 beats/minutes, peaking at 10 minutes. Cardiac output increased maximally at 15 minutes following tobacco consumption (1 gm of crushed tobacco leaves) having bearing on the excess heart disease in participants,” said Dr Balram Bhargava from AIIMS department of cardiology. He is one of the authors of the study.
Twelve habitual male tobacco users in the age group of 50-65 years, who were undergoing elective coronary angiography, were selected for the study with an aim to determine acute haemodynamic and coronary vasomotor effects of chewing tobacco.
The study said there was a significant increase in heart rate immediately after consumption of tobacco, which peaked at 10 minutes, but remained significantly elevated until 60 minutes of consumption.
“Chewing tobacco also caused a significant reduction in mean absolute coronary diameter by 12 per cent in the proximal and by 13 percent in the mid-segments, respectively at 10 minutes of tobacco consumption.”
The mechanisms behind the reduction in coronary diameter may involve a diffuse hyperactive response to constrictor effects as seen in variant angina, said the study involving researchers Sivasubramanian Ramakrishnan, Rajendra Thangjam, Ambuj Ray, Sandeep Singh, Sandeep Seth and Rajiv Narang, all from AIIMS’ Department of Cardiology and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan from Department of Cardiac Biochemistry from AIIMS.
“Chewing a lesser quantity of crushed tobacco leaves (1 gm) led to very high levels of cotinine in the blood, which suggests that the nicotine content of Indian form of chewing tobacco is high,” said the researchers.
It is estimated that Indian smokeless tobacco products for chewing (khaini, zarda and non-manufactured tobacco) tend to contain more nicotine (13.8-65.0 mg/g) than the US smokeless tobacco, according to the study.
The outcome holds significance given that the Supreme Court is reviewing a case pertaining to the health impact of the smokeless tobacco on the users in the country.
According to a recent Government survey, nearly one-third of Indians — including children and youth — were addicted to smokeless tobacco which was found to have carcinogens components. Tobacco chewing causes cancer of the mouth pancreas, stomach, kidney and lung while its usage during pregnancy could cause still-birth and several complications during delivery.
In a first of its kind study published in the latest edition of American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, researchers from India’s premier health institution, AIIMS, have indicated that smokeless tobacco consumption can be as harmful as smoking a cigarette, by increasing heartbeats and constricting arteries, ultimately causing cardiovascular risk.
“Chewing tobacco led to an acute increase in heart rate — from around 68.3 beats/minutes to 80.6 beats/minutes, peaking at 10 minutes. Cardiac output increased maximally at 15 minutes following tobacco consumption (1 gm of crushed tobacco leaves) having bearing on the excess heart disease in participants,” said Dr Balram Bhargava from AIIMS department of cardiology. He is one of the authors of the study.
Twelve habitual male tobacco users in the age group of 50-65 years, who were undergoing elective coronary angiography, were selected for the study with an aim to determine acute haemodynamic and coronary vasomotor effects of chewing tobacco.
The study said there was a significant increase in heart rate immediately after consumption of tobacco, which peaked at 10 minutes, but remained significantly elevated until 60 minutes of consumption.
“Chewing tobacco also caused a significant reduction in mean absolute coronary diameter by 12 per cent in the proximal and by 13 percent in the mid-segments, respectively at 10 minutes of tobacco consumption.”
The mechanisms behind the reduction in coronary diameter may involve a diffuse hyperactive response to constrictor effects as seen in variant angina, said the study involving researchers Sivasubramanian Ramakrishnan, Rajendra Thangjam, Ambuj Ray, Sandeep Singh, Sandeep Seth and Rajiv Narang, all from AIIMS’ Department of Cardiology and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan from Department of Cardiac Biochemistry from AIIMS.
“Chewing a lesser quantity of crushed tobacco leaves (1 gm) led to very high levels of cotinine in the blood, which suggests that the nicotine content of Indian form of chewing tobacco is high,” said the researchers.
It is estimated that Indian smokeless tobacco products for chewing (khaini, zarda and non-manufactured tobacco) tend to contain more nicotine (13.8-65.0 mg/g) than the US smokeless tobacco, according to the study.
The outcome holds significance given that the Supreme Court is reviewing a case pertaining to the health impact of the smokeless tobacco on the users in the country.
According to a recent Government survey, nearly one-third of Indians — including children and youth — were addicted to smokeless tobacco which was found to have carcinogens components. Tobacco chewing causes cancer of the mouth pancreas, stomach, kidney and lung while its usage during pregnancy could cause still-birth and several complications during delivery.
