Abstract

Background: Tobacco smoking in any form (cigarette, bidi etc.) has long been established as a risk factor for CAD (coronary artery disease) but a very little research has been done on tobacco chewing, which is restricted to South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) whether it increases risk for cardiovascular morbidity or not. Aims &
Objective: To assess the cardiovascular risks in tobacco chewers as compared to normal population of Aligarh a city of Western Uttar Pradesh.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Department of Physiology, Department of TB Chest and Department of Medicine JNMCH, AMU Aligarh. The study consisted of 30 tobacco chewers (in any form) and 30 subjects without any history of tobacco consumption in any form. The age group varied from 20-60years. Anthropometric measurement age, weight, height, BMI, Pulse, SBP (systolic BP), DBP (Diastolic BP) and Lipid Profile estimation from blood sample.
Results: Anthropometric measurements did not show any significant change when compared in two groups (p > 0.05). Cardiovascular Parameters like, Systolic pressure (117.46 ± 11.07); diastolic pressure (83.37 ± 8.74); mean arterial pressures (93.40 ± 6.33) and pulse rate (84.29 ± 5.70), were significantly increased in chewers as compared to normal population (p < 0.05). Lipid Profile Parameters like, Total cholesterol (237.04 ± 82.6); HDL (45.54 ± 5.46); LDL (161.16 ± 76.7) were increased in chewers as compared to control (p < 0.05). Atherogenic index T Choles./HDL (5.22 ± 1.90); LDL/HDL (3.57±1.35); Non-HDL/HDL (4.3 ± 1.0), were also showed a significant increase (p < 0.05). Conclusion: All these findings are suggestive that tobacco chewers are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases as compared to non-tobacco consuming population.