Impact of Smoking and Alcohol Consumption on Blood Pressure and Anthropometric Parameters

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease typically obesity-related. Alcohol consumption and smoking are two of the many factors that can influence the onset of hypertension. Alcohol was found to aggravate hypertension in numerous earlier studies. The present study has been objectively conducted with an aim to assess the impact of alcohol consumption and smoking on blood pressure and anthropometric parameters among college going students in Jammu. Methods: The present study was conducted on 200 medical students at Postgraduate Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Jammu over a period of one year from November 2019 to October 2020. Results: Mean BMI, mean WHR were significantly high among individuals with smoking history compared to respondents without smoking history (25.8 ± 4.32 vs. 22.56 ± 3.01;p-value=0.03) and (0.92 ± 0.06 vs. 0.85 ± 0.06;p-value=0.042) respectively. However; mean SBP and mean DNP was comparable between the individuals with and without smoking history. Mean BMI (26.75 ± 8.13 vs. 22.66 ± 2.99; p-value=0.043), mean WHR (0.91 ± 0.03 vs. 0.85 ± 0.06; p-value=0.039), mean SBP (123 ± 9.01 vs. 119.90± 7.29; p-value=0.047), and DBP (84±6.32 vs. 78.76±5.34; p-value=0.002) were significantly high among individuals with alcohol consumption compared to respondents without alcohol consumption Conclusion: With regard to mean systolic BP and mean diastolic, there was no significant difference between subjects with and without smoking history. However; Alcohol consumption in the study population was found to be significantly associated with higher BMI, WHR, systolic BP and diastolic BP. Keywords: Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, body mass index, obesity, blood pressure, hypertension