Sex-Related Differences in Oxidative, Platelet, and Vascular Function in Chronic Users of Heat-not-Burn vs. Traditional Combustion Cigarettes
Leonardo Schirone,
Lorenzo Loffredo,
Roberto Carnevale,
Simona Battaglia,
Roberta Marti,
Stefano Pizzolo,
Simona Bartimoccia,
Cristina Nocella,
Vittoria Cammisotto,
Wael Saade,
Alessandra Tanzilli,
Sebastiano Sciarretta,
Isotta Chimenti,
Elena De Falco,
Elena Cavarretta,
Vittorio Picchio,
Mariangela Peruzzi,
Antonino Marullo,
Fabio Miraldi,
Francesco Violi,
Andrea Morelli,
Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai,
Giacomo Frati
Affiliations
Leonardo Schirone
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Lorenzo Loffredo
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Roberto Carnevale
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Simona Battaglia
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Roberta Marti
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Stefano Pizzolo
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Simona Bartimoccia
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Cristina Nocella
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Vittoria Cammisotto
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Wael Saade
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Alessandra Tanzilli
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Sebastiano Sciarretta
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Isotta Chimenti
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Elena De Falco
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Elena Cavarretta
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Vittorio Picchio
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Mariangela Peruzzi
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Antonino Marullo
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Fabio Miraldi
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Francesco Violi
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Andrea Morelli
Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Giacomo Frati
Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
Smoking is still a major cardiovascular risk factor, despite many public awareness campaigns and dedicated interventions. Recently, modified risk products (MRP), e.g., heat-not-burn cigarettes (HNBCs), have been introduced as surrogates of traditional combustion cigarettes (TCCs). Although these products are promoted as healthier than TCCs, few studies have been conducted to assess it. This work is a sex-focused sub-study of a prospective observational study in which apparently healthy chronic TCC smokers were age-matched with regular HNBC users. Blood samples were collected for biochemical assays and blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were measured. Out of 60 subjects, 33 (55%) were women, and 27 (45%) men, with 11 (33%) vs. 9 (33%) non-smokers, respectively, 10 (30%) vs. 10 (37%) TCC smokers, and 12 (36%) vs. 8 (30%) HNBC smokers (p = 0.946). Bivariate and multivariable analyses showed no statistically significant between-sex differences in NO, H2O2, sCD40L, sNox2-dp, sP-selectin, platelet aggregation, cotinine or FMD, overall, in non-smokers, in TCC smokers, or in HNBC smokers (all p > 0.05). HNBCs appeared safer than TCCs when focusing on Nox2-dp (p = 0.026) and sP-selectin (p = 0.050) but had similar levels of the other measured markers. In conclusion, HNBCs have similar detrimental effects on women and men’s oxidative stress (H2O2: p = 0.49; sNox2-dp: p = 0.31) and platelet activation (sP-selectin: p = 0.33; platelet aggregation p = 0.87).
