Effect of Electronic Cigarettes on Platelets, Endothelium and Inflammation

Acute Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Platelet, Vascular Endothelial Function, and Inflammation in Healthy Active Smokers

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the acute effects of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) smoking on measurable biomarkers of platelet function, vascular endothelial function and inflammation in healthy active smokers. 10 healthy subjects, smokers, with no other medical conditions will be included in this study and measurements will be obtained at baseline and after smoking an e-cigarette. The study will contribute to the understanding of the effects of e-cigarettes on cardiovascular physiology, specifically establishing if the use of e-cigarettes increases platelet aggregation and platelet activation when compared to baseline in healthy active smokers, if the use of e-cigarettes decreases brachial artery flow-mediated dilation compared to baseline in healthy active smokers, and to determine the association between biomarkers of inflammation, platelet function, and vascular endothelial function before and after use of e-cigarettes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult English speaking subjects able and willing to provide written informed consent
• Active tobacco cigarette smoker
• History of active smoking tobacco cigarettes for 3-10 years (at least 10 cigarettes per day). The rational for inclusion of active smokers is based on prior data showing that most e-cigarette users have smoked moderate to high amount of tobacco cigarettes in the past
• No other use of alternative tobacco or nicotine products
• No history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, asthma or other chronic lung disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor, warfarin, statins, colchicine, nitrates, steroids, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, or any other anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic or anticoagulant agent in the last week
• History of adverse reactions to e-cigarettes