Effects of smoking regular or light cigarettes on brachial artery flow-mediated dilation.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

To compare the effects of regular cigarettes (RCs) and light cigarettes (LCs) on brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and sublingual glyceryl trinitrate-induced dilation (GTN), markers of endothelial dependant and independent function, respectively.

METHODS:

206 subjects (age 51.5 ± 12.8 yr, 122 men) had their smoking habits recorded and FMD and GTN measured by B-mode ultrasound. Cigarettes were categorized as RCs or LCs according to their content of tar, nicotine and CO. The chronic effect was assessed in current smokers of RCs (n = 85) or LCs (n = 53) and in never smokers (NS; n = 68). The acute effect was assessed in current smokers by measuring FMD before and 10-min after smoking a single regular (n = 29) or light (n = 51) cigarette.

RESULTS:

FMD was significantly lower in consumers of RCs (6.26%, 95% C.I. 5.58, 6.94) or LCs (5.59%, 95% C.I. 4.74, 6.45) compared to NS (8.68%, 95% C.I. 7.92, 9.44) (both P < 0.0001), but did not differ (P > 0.05) when compared to each other. GTN was similar in the three groups. Analyses adjusted for clinical confounders and for markers involved in oxidative stress, arginine/nitric oxide pathway, and inflammation provided identical results. Smoking a single cigarette, either regular or light, reduced FMD (-0.88% and -1.17%, respectively, both P < 0.05), without significant difference between cigarette type. RCs and LCs produced analogous chronic and acute effects when FMD was calculated with respect to the last 60 s of the low-flow phase (FMD60s).

CONCLUSIONS:

LCs impair endothelial-dependant vasodilation as much as RCs. Thus, smoking LCs cannot be considered an alternative to the only safe choice of a complete and permanent smoking cessation.

• Authors: M Amato, B Frigerio, S Castelnuovo, A Ravani, D Sansaro, E Tremoli, I Squellerio, V Cavalca, F Veglia, C R Sirtori, J P Werba, D Baldassarre
• Journal: Atherosclerosis (Atherosclerosis) Vol. 228 Issue 1 Pg. 153-60 (May 2013) ISSN: 1879-1484 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 23528831 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Nicotinic Agonists
• Nitric Oxide
• Nicotine

Topics

• Adult
• Brachial Artery (diagnostic imaging, metabolism, physiology)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Endothelium, Vascular (drug effects, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nicotine (adverse effects)
• Nicotinic Agonists (adverse effects)
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Oxidative Stress (physiology)
• Smoking (adverse effects, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Tobacco Products (adverse effects)
• Ultrasonography
• Vasculitis (diagnostic imaging, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Vasodilation (drug effects, physiology)