Document Type : Perspective, opinion, and commentary
Author
Internal Medicine Consultant at Kirkuk Teaching Hospital and Manager of Kirkuk Internal Medicine Center / Arab Board of Internal Medicine
Abstract
The prevalence of lung and cardiovascular diseases in modern society can be largely attributed to the use of tobacco in cigarettes. Smoking tobacco and hypertension stand as the primary culprits behind preventable deaths globally. Despite a decline in age-adjusted smoking rates, the overall number of tobacco users has risen due to population growth. Efforts to curb tobacco consumption, such as the Great American Smokeout of November 16, 2017, have led to a decrease in tobacco users in the US from 45.1 million in 2005 to 36.5 million in 2017.
However, this decline in traditional tobacco use has been accompanied by a surge in the popularity of electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes," raising concerns about their potential health risks. The impact of e-cigarettes on public health hinges on several factors: their influence on initiating tobacco use among young people, aiding cessation among adults, and their inherent toxicity.
The transition from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes holds promise if it leads to permanent tobacco cessation among adult smokers. However, both vaping and tobacco use can elevate blood pressure and accelerate atherothrombotic processes through various mechanisms, including adverse effects on lipids, thrombosis, inflammation, and endothelial function.
The acute effects of tobacco smoking are characterized by an overactive sympathetic nervous system, resulting in increased heart rate, blood pressure, myocardial contractility, and myocardial oxygen consumption. Long-term consequences of tobacco smoking also pose significant health risks.
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