Effect of Long Term Smoking on Hand Steadiness - An Observational Study on Chronic Smokers Between the Ages of 25 to 60 years

Volume : VII, Issue : VI, June - 2018

Dr Shivani Agarwal, Dr Sharad Patel

Background:Cigarette smoking is one of the largest preventable causes of disease and premature death worldwide. Apart from

being a prime contributor to major medical illnesses, and cancer of many organs, it has also been associated with neuromotor

deficit. This study evaluates the effect of smoking on the hand steadiness of chronic smokers between the ages of 25 to 60 years.

Methods:100 healthy subjects were divided in 2 groups: Group A (Smokers) & Group B (Non smokers). Hand steadiness was

assessed using the Hand Steadiness Tester (Hole type). For statistical analysis, GraphPad InStat DTCG was used. Student‘s

unpaired t–test was applied to compare the results.

Results & Conclusion:The performance of smokers was found to be inferior to non smokers, as the mean time taken for

completing the test was more for smokers. The results of this study indicate that even 5 years of smoking can contribute to a

significant deficit in hand steadiness.