title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical Service, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Electronic address: Neal.Benowitz@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Neal L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Benowitz
authors.affiliation: Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
authors.forename: Andrea D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Burbank
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013997:Time Factors; D000072137:Vaping / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Cigarette smoking; Electronic cigarettes; Nicotine