THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON MYOCARDIAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERIAL DISEASE

Abstract

The effect of cigarette smoking on the cardiac output and stroke volume together with the blood pressure and heart rate has been measured in 14 normal subjects, 5 patients with angina, and 14 following myocardial infarction. Normal men and those with angina in the absence of infarction behave similarly with an increase in pulse rate, mean pressure, stroke volume, and cardiac output. Some patients among the post-myocardial infarction group showed a marked fall in stroke volume and cardiac output while smoking. Two of these patients had recently reduced their smoking because of dyspnea; one of these patients experienced dyspnea during the smoking test.