Cardiovascular responses to a quantified dose of nicotine as a function of personality and nicotine tolerance

Abstract

Correlations between cardiovascular effects of a quantified dose of nicotine and personality measures previously shown to predict coronary heart disease were obtained. Thirty male smokers smoked a popular brand of a regular strength cigarette (1.0 mg FTC-estimated nicotine delivery) on one occasion and a nicotine-free cigarette on another occasion by means of a quantified smoke delivery system. Partial correlations controlling for effects of body weight, questionnaire-assessed nicotine tolerance, and cardiovascular responses to the nicotine-free control cigarette showed Jenkins Activity Survey Type A scores to correlate positively with nicotine-induced increase in diastolic blood pressure but negatively with nicotine-induced increase in systolic blood pressure. Partial correlations indicated that trait anxiety and depression were significantly associated with nicotine-induced heart rate increases but not with nicotine-induced blood pressure responses.