A study of digital blood flow was carried out using a "mercury-in-silastic" strain gauge in 50 individuals. Forty heavy smokers (25 asymptomatic chronic heavy smokers and 15 smokers with overt thromboangiitis obliterans—TAO) were studied. Ten individuals who had never smoked served as controls. Chronic heavy, long-term smoking causes signifi cant reduction in digital blood flow. A further reduction occurs in those with overt symptoms of TAO. Monitoring of digital blood flow could provide a good screening test for determining the status of peripheral blood flow in chronic smokers.
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