Abstract 16755: Cardiovascular Effects of Electronic Cigarettes

INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking is a firmly and well-established risk factor for heart and lung disease. The risk is dramatically reduced by cigarette smoking discontinuation. Recently, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), nicotine delivery devices that produce vapor, have been considered as less harmful than tobacco smoking. The inhalated vapor contains nicotine and other substances (nitrosamines, carcinogenes, diethylene glycol) that may be dangerous. Furthermore, as far as we know, there are no studies that investigate the effects of e-cigarette use on myocardial function. HYPOTHESIS: The aim of our study was to investigate the acute hemodynamic effects of nicotine delivered by electronic devices in normal subjects. METHODS: Our study included 12 healthy volunteers (7 men and 5 women; mean age 28 ± 6) who were used to smoke e-cigarettes. In all subjects we performed a complete echocardiographic exam according to ASE guidelines. BP, HR and oxygen saturation percentage, were taken by validated automated devices during echocardiographic stroke volume (SV) measurement. All parameters were measured at rest (T0) and after 2 (T1) and 4 (T2) minutes during e-cigarette smoking. Cardiac output (CO), mean BP, systemic vascular resistances (SVR) were derived. Subjects were asked to smoke their own e-cigarette at the usual concentration of nicotine that varied between 4 and 9 mg/ml. Wilcoxon test was used to compare measured and derived variables at different study times. A p RESULTS: CO increased and SVR decreased after 2 (T1) and 4 (T2) minutes during e-cigarette smoking, while DBP and MAP increased at 4 minutes (T2) Oxigen saturation did not change. The results are shown on the table. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, e-cigarettes appear less harmful than tobacco smoking but our study showed that nicotine vapor inhalation produces the same pathophysiological cardiovascular effects of traditional cigarette smoking.