Haemodynamic Responses to Tobacco Smoke Inhalation in Male Adolescents in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Tobacco smoke is said to cause changes in the levels of catecholamines in the blood, this leads to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. This is due to nicotine which has also been noted to cause a decrease in vasodilatory activities leading to an increase in both the blood pressure and heart rate. Tobacco smoking, the commonest mode of tobacco use in Zambia, is predominantly a male vice with a prevalence of 19.8% among men aged 15-49 years compared to 2.1% of women. The use of tobacco among adolescents is said to be on the increase. The ZDHS, 2014 reported a prevalence of 16.1% among males aged 15 – 24 years who may be classified as late adolescents [2] and are said to be an emerging priority population for the tobacco industry. While much has been documented about the impact of chronic tobacco use on morbidity and mortality, much less has been reported on the acute effects of tobacco on health. In this study we sort to determine the acute influences of tobacco smoke on haemodynamic responses in male adolescents.