Cardiovascular toxicity of nicotine: Implications for electronic cigarette use

Abstract

The cardiovascular safety of nicotine is an important question in the current debate on the benefits vs risks of electronic cigarettes and related public health policy. Nicotine exerts pharmacologic effects that could contribute to acute cardiovascular events and accelerated atherogenesis experienced by cigarette smokers. Studies of nicotine medications and smokeless tobacco indicate that the risks of nicotine without tobacco combustion products (cigarette smoke) are low compared to cigarette smoking, but are still of concern in people with cardiovascular disease. Electronic cigarettes deliver nicotine without combustion of tobacco and appear to pose low cardiovascular risk, at least with short term use, in healthy users.

Electronic cigarettes—A review of the physiological health effects

“…These effects are also lower in magnitude. In addition, EC aerosol does not contain many of the toxicants found in CC smoke that influence cardiovascular function (Benowitz and Burbank 2016;Margham et al 2016). As such, for short-term use, ECs likely represent a safer alternative to smoking CCs when it comes to cardiovascular health.…”

SMOKING AS A RISK FACTOR OF CARDIOVASCULAR AND CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES: PREVALENCE, IMPACT ON PROGNOSIS, POSSIBLE SMOKING CESSATION STRATEGIES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. Part 1. Smoking Prevalence and Impact on Prognosis

“…Механизмы развития острых сердечно-сосудистых событий при курении многообразны, и под воздей-ствием компонентов табачного дыма включают, в т.ч., активацию процессов воспаления, агрегации тромбо-цитов/тромбогенеза, симпатической нервной си-стемы, развитие эндотелиальной дисфункции [40]. Подробно данные механизмы рассматриваются в ряде cпециальных обзоров [41,42].…”

Serum homocysteine level in male smokers of Bangladesh

“…Moreover it also accelerates atherosclerosis in di erent arteries. 5,6 Passive smokers may also su er from these diseases. 7 Smoing causes increase in serum homocysteine (Hcy) level and this high level may increase the risk of certain diseases including CVD, strokes, cancers, diabetes, depression and Alzheimer's disease.…”