Remote exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is associated with lower exercise capacity through effects on oxygen pulse, a proxy of cardiac stroke volume
Authors: Zeng Siyang , Dunn Michelle , Gold Warren M , Kizer Jorge , Arjomandi Mehrdad 
Published: June 2021

Background

Past exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is associated with exercise limitation. Pulmonary factors including air trapping contribute to this limitation but the contribution of cardiovascular factors is unclear.

Objective

To determine contribution of cardiovascular mechanisms to SHS-associated exercise limitation.

Methods

We examined the cardiovascular responses to maximum effort exercise in 245 never-smokers with remote, prolonged occupational exposure to SHS and no known history of cardiovascular disease. We estimated the contribution of oxygen-pulse (proxy for cardiac stroke volume) and changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) and heart rate (HR) towards exercise capacity, and examined whether the association of SHS with exercise capacity was mediated through these variables.

Results

At peak exercise (highest workload completed [WattsPeak]=156±46 watts [135±33 %predicted]), oxygen consumption (VO2Peak) and oxygen-pulse (O2-PulsePeak) were 1,557±476 mL/min (100±24 %predicted) and 11.0±3.0 mL/beat (116±25 %predicted), respectively, with 29% and 3% participants not achieving their predicted normal range. Oxygen saturation at peak exercise was 98±1% and remained >93% in all participants. Sixty-six percent showed hypertensive response to exercise. In models adjusted for covariates, WattsPeak was associated directly with O2-PulsePeak, HRPeak, and SBPPeak and inversely with SHS, air trapping (RV/TLC), and rise of SBP over workload (all P<0.01). Moreover, SHS exposure association with WattsPeak was substantially (41%) mediated through its effect on O2-PulsePeak (P<0.038). Although not statistically significant, a considerable proportion (36%) of air trapping effect on WattsPeak seemed to be mediated through O2-PulsePeak (P=0.078). The likelihood of having baseline respiratory symptoms (modified Medical Research Council score ≥1) was associated with steeper rise in SBP over workload (P<0.01).

Conclusion

In a never-smoker population with remote exposure to SHS, abnormal escalation of afterload and an SHS-associated reduction in cardiac output contributed to lower exercise capacity.

Key messages

What is the key question?

What are the cardiovascular health effects of past exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke in never-smokers? How do pulmonary and cardiovascular systems interact in this setting?

What is the bottom line?

Healthy never-smokers with history of remote past exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke have an abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise, which is characterized by a stroke volume and thus an exercise capacity that are reduced proportional to their years of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

Why read on?

The abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in this population reveals the presence of an occult or subclinical pathology that impairs the cardiopulmonary functional reserve and reduces the efficiency of body’s oxygen delivery machinery, which could be disadvantageous during the times of increased cardiopulmonary output demands as in physiological distress or disease.