Effect of cigarette smoking on the pattern of arterial blood flow: possible insight into mechanisms underlying the development of arteriosclerosis.

By means of non-invasive multichannel doppler ultrasound measurements, cigarette smoking in healthy subjects was shown to increase arterial wall stiffness and to alter the pattern of arterial blood flow, decreasing the pulsatility index. The pattern of blood flow seems to be a contributory factor in the development of arteriosclerosis, and these findings may provide insight into the underlying mechanisms.