Smoking Selectively Accelerates Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive Patients

Background and objectives: Left ventricular hypertrophy, carotid atherosclerosis and renal dysfunction are indicators of target organ damage in hypertension, and independent risk factors for both fatal and non-fatal cardio- and cerebrovascular events. In the general population, smoking is associated with increases in left ventricular mass and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and impaired renal function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether smoking affects the development of target organ damage in patients with arterial hypertension.