Cardiovascular Assessment of the Effects of Tobacco and Nicotine Delivery Products

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 In contrast, the cardiovascular risks of other popular tobacco products (smokeless tobacco), new tobacco products ( e-cigarettes) and proposed products (reduced nicotine cigarettes) are not adequately understood. The FDA will need information about the cardiovascular safety of these products to inform their regulatory decisions. While long-term clinical outcome studies of the cardiovascular risks of these tobacco products would be optimal, they take too long to provide the data that the FDA needs now. Disturbances in the function of vascular endothelium (the lining of arteries, which plays an important role in regulating vascular function) and the activation of the autonomic nervous system, as well as increased inflammation, oxidative stress and propensity to thrombosis (clotting), are key mechanisms in the progression of CVD and validated biomarkers of CVD risk. These biomarkers form the basis for our model to assess the CVD risks of tobacco product use and secondhand smoke exposure. We will conduct controlled, short-term exposures of human subjects to test products that provide a wide range of nicotine, particle, and other cardiovascular toxin concentrations to determine how these components associated with tobacco use adversely affect cardiovascular risk.