Heat-not-burn devices may eliminate users' exposure to tobacco smoke, but the vapor they produce has the same negative impact on blood vessel function as smoking, according to a preliminary animal study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2017, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians.
Heat-not-burn products are not new, but have been recently updated and test marketed in several countries outside the United States with greater success. Despite tobacco industry claims of heat-not-burn products being less harmful than regular cigarettes, the health effects of the devices are still unproven, according to researchers.
Heat-not-burn devices raise the temperature of tobacco enough to release nicotine-containing vapor but not enough to burn, avoiding smoke exposure. To test the devices' ability to reduce harm, researchers assessed whether exposure to the vapor affects the ability of rats' blood vessels to widen when there is increased blood flow -- a measure of blood vessel health that is impaired with exposure to smoke from cigarettes, small cigars and marijuana.
Researchers found:
Using heat-not-burn products may not avoid the adverse cardiovascular effects of smoking cigarettes.
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Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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