Heart, exercise and cigarette smoking

There have been many studies on the effects of cigarette smoke on the cardiovascular system, but there is no information on the possible changes that occur in the hemodynamic, mechanical and morphological functions of the myocardium when smoking/exercise are combined. The aim of this study was to analyze cardiac function and structure by measuring hemodynamics, mechanics and myocardial histological structure. Exposure to cigarette smoke promotes hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis and an increase in right ventricular systolic pressure. The combination of swimming and smoking intensified myocardial hypertrophy, compromised myocardial contractility and prevented the increase in collagen seen in animals exposed to cigarette smoke alone.