Smoking mentholated cigarettes impairs coronary microvascular function as severely as does smoking regular cigarettes.
OBJECTIVE
Smoking mentholated cigarettes inhibits the metabolism of nicotine and increases systemic exposure to cigarette smoke toxins. However, the possible effects of smoking mentholated cigarettes on coronary microvascular functions are unknown. We sought to investigate whether smoking mentholated cigarettes impairs coronary flow reserve (CFR) more so than smoking regular cigarettes.


METHODS
Twenty otherwise healthy smokers of regular cigarettes (6 women, 14 men; mean age, 25.6 +/- 6.4 years) and 22 non-smoking control subjects were included in the study. To compare the acute effects of mentholated (0.9 mg nicotine, 11 mg tar, 12 mg carbon monoxide) and regular (0.9 mg nicotine, 12 mg tar, 12 mg carbon monoxide) cigarettes on CFR, all subjects underwent an echocardiographic examination that included CFR measurements at baseline. Twenty to 30 minutes after subjects had smoked 2 regular cigarettes and 2 mentholated cigarettes, CFR was again measured in subjects in the smoking group.


RESULTS
In response to smoking 2 regular and 2 mentholated cigarettes, CFR values declined from 2.56 +/- 0.60 to 2.06 +/- 0.38 (P < 0.004) and from 2.56 +/- 0.60 to 2.14 +/- 0.30 (P < 0.005), respectively. Smoking mentholated and regular cigarettes impaired CFR to the same degree (P = 0.547).


CONCLUSIONS
When compared with smoking regular cigarettes, smoking mentholated cigarettes has similar acute detrimental effects on coronary microvascular functions.
Ciftci
Ozgur
O
Department of Cardiology, Baskent University, Konya Teaching and Medical Research Center, Konya, Turkey. ozgurciftci@baskent-kon.edu.tr
Topcu
Semra
S
Caliskan
Mustafa
M
Gullu
Hakan
H
Erdogan
Dogan
D
Yildirim
Erkan
E
Yildirir
Aylin
A
Muderrisoglu
Haldun
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology
D008610:Menthol; D009538:Nicotine