A COMPARISON OF 12 LEAD ECG STATUS OF TOBACCO SMOKERS, TOBACCO CHEWERS AND NONTOBACCO USERS

Abstract

Introduction: According to World Health Report (2002)¹ tobacco is the most preventable cause of overall mortality as well as cardiovascular mortality worldwide. Cigarette smoking has long been proved as a causative factor for CAD (coronary artery disease) but a very little work has been done on smokeless tobacco so present work done in Muzaffarnagar a city of Western Uttar Pradesh aims to evaluate the Electrocardiographic status of habitual smokers and chewers of tobacco,to have a comparative analysis of their ECG status with non tobacco users not smoking or chewing.

Objective: The objective is to find if chronic smoking or chewing tobacco produce any ECG changes.

Methodology: Three groups each having 30 human subjects were taken and 12 lead ECG record was taken and measured for various intervals, segment and amplitudes.

Results: Heart rate is increased significantly in smokers and chewers as compared to control subjects .There is significant shortening of duration of QRS complex in smokers and chewers as compared to control. There is significant shortening of TP interval in tobacco smokers and chewers as compared to control.

Conclusion: ECG demonstrates only significant increase in resting heart rate, with subsequent shortening in TP interval and QRS duration in tobacco smokers and tobacco chewers as compared to non tobacco users.Otherwise ECG status of chronic smokers and chewers is normal with no significant abnormality.