eCIGARETTES AND CARDIAC EFFECTS

The European Congress of Cardiology is now on in Munich, Germany, from 25th Aug - 29th Aug. 2012. I had a look at the program  last week ( they always publish their "hot list" a week ahead to drive attendance ), and I did not see anything earth shuttering,. Well many of the more important presentations have come on-line now.
This morning, I thought I read a rather interesting simple paper from Greece, that was presented by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinas, from the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Kallithea, Greece. He studied the acute cardiovascular effects of the electronic cigarettes and compared it with the acute cardiovascular effects of cigarettes. There were 22 subjects who had their BP, PR and echocardiogram done before and after smoking a stick of cigarette, and 22 subjects who had the same done after smoking an electronic cigarette. He found that those who smoke the normal cigarette had a slight impairment in LV function and also a slight rise in BP ( systolic and diastolic ), slight rise in heart rate, whereas those who used the electronic cigarette had only a slight rise in diastolic BP.

 Firstly, I was very intrigued by the electronic cigarette. I did not know that there was such a thing. Apparently, it contains a battery and cartridge. There is a heating element and this heats up a solution, that contains glycerol, propylene glycerol, nicotine, and some flavours. This is another attempt to help fight cigarette addiction.
Secondly, I was surprise to know that cigarette smoking had quite severe, acute CV effects.
I only regret that this study is certainly too small to effect a healthy lifestyle campaign. I certainly hope that more, a larger such studies will be done.
I have always believe that the best way to kick the habit is not substitution but just plain old way of stopping it once and for all.