The Effect of Smoking Cigarettes on the Apexcardiogram in Coronary Heart Disease

¹ Staff Cardiologist and Chief of Phonocardiography, Long Beach Veterans Administration Hospital; Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California College of Medicine, Irvine

Twenty men smokers with coronary heart disease had apexcardiograms performed before and immediately, two, four, and six minutes after smoking two highnicotine cigarettes, two low-nicotine cigarettes, and two non-nicotine lettuce leaf cigarettes. The mean maximum increase in A wave ratio above the base line level was 6 percent after smoking the non-nicotine cigarettes, 13 percent after smoking the low-nicotine cigarettes, and 34 percent after smoking the high-nicotine cigarettes. The mean A wave ratio was significantly increased immediately after smoking the non-nicotine cigarettes, immediately, two, and four minutes after smoking the low-nicotine cigarettes, and immediately, two, four, and six minutes after smoking the high-nicotine cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes increased myocardial ischemia, causing an increase in left ventricular A wave, reflected by a larger A wave ratio in the apexcardiogram.