The effects of nicotine
replacement therapy (NRT)-aided smoking cessation on
vascular function are not fully clarified. We investigated 100 healthy smokers
who were motivated to quit and received NRT for a 3-month period. Vascular
endothelial function (measured by reactive hyperemia-peripheral arterial
tonometry [RH-PAT]), arterial stiffness (measured by augmentation index [AI]
and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity [baPWV]), and systemic inflammation
markers (including serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1]
and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]) were assessed at baseline and 3 and 12 months of
follow-up. After 3 months of intervention, endothelial function, arterial
stiffness, and inflammatory markers significantly improved (RH-PAT increased,
AI and baPWV decreased, sICAM-1 and IL-1β decreased, all P < .05) for the participants who abstained from smoking completely,
but for those who did not abstained completely, RH-PAT, AI, baPWV, and IL-1β
remained unchanged. At 12 months follow-up, endothelial function (RH-PAT),
arterial stiffness (AI and baPWV), and inflammatory markers (sICAM-1 and IL-1β)
were further improved in participants who abstained from smoking (P < .001), while the above parameters deteriorated in
continued smokers (P < .05). In conclusion, vascular dysfunction can be
reversible after NRT-aided smoking cessation in
healthy smokers and vascular function could be further damaged if they continue smoking[1].
[1]. Xue
C1, Chen QZ1, Bian L1, Yin ZF1, Xu ZJ1, Zhang AL1, Xie YS1, Zhang HL1, Du R2,
Wang CQ1. Effects of Smoking Cessation with Nicotine Replacement Therapy on
Vascular Endothelial Function, Arterial Stiffness, and Inflammation Response in
Healthy Smokers. Angiology. 2019 Sep;70(8):719-725
