Arterial stiffness as therapeutic target for smokers with comorbidity

Abstract

Cigarette smoking has long been considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a major preventable cause of death and disability in developed and developing countries. It is known that smoking can cause endothelial dysfunction and hemodynamic defects such as arterial stiffness. Among various surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk, arterial stiffness plays a central role and is a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular events, in addition to classical cardiovascular risk factors. This review presents the main mechanisms that explain the development of arterial stiffness during smoking, presents various treatment options for arterial stiffness as a therapeutic target for smokers with cardiorespiratory comorbidity.