Smoking and cardiovascular disease

The serum corticoids were markedly elevated on smoking high-nicotine cigarettes and the FFA changes were not related to either the amount of nicotine inhalation or the elevation of serum E.

Abstract

After a 40 minute rest in a sitting posture, the catecholamines, corticoids, and FFA levels in the serum were determined prior to and after smoking cigarettes under standard conditions of inhalation. Increasing the nicotine content in the smoke progressively increased the epinephrine-but not the norepinephrine-content in the serum. Increasing the number of low-nicotine cigarettes smoked also led to an elevation of epinephrine. The serum corticoids were markedly elevated on smoking high-nicotine cigarettes. The FFA changes were not related to either the amount of nicotine inhalation or the elevation of serum E. The possible epidemiologic implications of these findings were briefly discussed.