Selective Cardiovascular Effects of Stress and Cigarette Smoking

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine how cigarette smoking and psychological stress combine to affect cardiovascular function. Stress was operationally defined as playing a series of difficult video games under challenging instructional conditions. Following an initial test game, 51 smokers were randomly assigned to a 2 (smoke vs. sham smoke) X 2 (stress vs. no stress) design. The results showed that the subjects who sham smoked (inhaled unlit cigarettes) under no stress evidenced minimal changes in cardiovascular parameters. Subjects who smoked under no stress evidenced approximately 12 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 9 mmHg increases in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and a 15 beat-per-minute increase in heart rate (HR). These effects were similar in magnitude to those seen in subjects who sham smoked under stress. By contrast, subjects who smoked under stress showed markedly larger increases in all cardiovascular parameters, approximately doubling the magnitude of the observed response over that seen with either smoking or stress alone. Correlational analyses suggested the presence of stable individual differences in autonomic lability or sensitivity. Possible mechanisms are suggested whereby stress and smoking may combine to heighten the risk for coronary disease.

Neuroendocrine responses to nicotine and stress: enhancement of peripheral stress responses by the administration of nicotine

“…The results of the present study coincide with the findings of another recent investigation (MacDougall et al 1983). In that study, habitual cigarette smokers were asked to play a demanding video game, or smoke a high nicotine content cigarette, or do both.…”

The cardiovascular effects of nicotine during stress

“…The HR results from this study are similar to those of MacDougall et al (1983), also with males, but the SBP and DBP results here stand in contrast. There are several possible explanations for this inconsistency in results between the two studies.…”

“…To determine if nicotine led to improved task performance, as has been noted by others (e.g., Wesnes and Warburton 1983), or deteriorated performance, as reported by MacDougall et al (1983), mean performance time for the ten video game trials was compared between the Stress Alone and Stress + Nicotine conditions. ANCOVA revealed …”

“…However, MacDougall and colleagues have reported two studies (MacDougall et al •983 ;Dembroski et al •985) which suggest that smoking plus performing a stressful video game task results in greater cardiovascular increase than either smoking alone per performing the task while '" sham-smoking." The HR, SBP, and DBP increases due to smoking and stress were additive for males (MacDougall et al, 1983) and for females (Dembroski et al •985), although a multiplicative or synergistic (i.e. non-additive) effect on SBP among females was suggested.…”

Tramiento cognitivo-conductual para enfermos cardiovasculares

“…Los estudios realizados sobre el influjo del tabaco en el sistema cardiovascular durante una situación de estrés demuestran que los efectos que produce la nicotina sobre el organismo en estas situaciones son bastante complejos y, hasta el momento, poco claros. En los estudios realizados por MacDougall y su grupo (MacDougall, 1983;MacDougall, Musante, Castillo, & Acevedo, 1988), se encontró que los efectos de la nicotina sobre la respuesta cardiovascular ante situaciones estresantes tienen un carácter aditivo. Su presencia provoca un incremento en la presión arterial y la tasa cardiaca cuando aparece combinado con la cafeína.…”