Smoking habits and postural stability.
PURPOSE: It has been reported that tobacco smoking temporarily affects postural stability We have examined whether smoking habits have a long-term effect on the body balance control using computer-aided posturography. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The postural stability of 80 male forest workers was measured with a force platform technique with eyes closed. Average body sway velocity (ASV [mm/s]) was determined and used as a stability index. Detailed interviews on tobacco smoking and otologic examinations were carried out. Smoking habits were classified into five categories: nonsmokers (53.8%), ex-smokers (17.5%) and current smokers, comprising light (3.8%), moderate (15%), and heavy (10%) smokers. RESULTS: The smoking habits of the subjects correlated significantly with ASV, but hours of the exposure to noise and hand-arm vibration from chain saws did not. The correlation of the smoking habits remained significant even after eliminating the effect of age and exposure by partialization. Age in itself had no effect on ASV but interacted with smoking to increase ASV. The group means of ASV increased with the increase in smoking. Significant differences in ASV were found in the moderate and heavy smokers compared with the nonsmokers. CONCLUSION: Smokers exhibited more unstable posturographic results than nonsmokers. Smoking habits were suggested to have a long-term effect on the posture control system.