Efeito do uso de cigarro eletrônico e cigarro tradicional sobre parâmetros hemorreológicos

Abstract

Tobacco represents one of the greatest threats to global public health on record, leading to an alarming number of more than 8 million deaths annually. The act of smoking is intrinsically complex, involving psychological, neurobiological and social aspects, which condition addictive patterns of behavior, making it difficult to stop and overlapping with impacts on individuals' health. When using conventional cigarettes, it is essential to understand that the habit is linked to the burning of tobacco. This combustion not only results in the release of nicotine, but also causes the emission of a mixture of gases, vapors, liquid particles and microparticles in the smoke. Electronic cigarettes were introduced on the market as an option to reduce the risks and losses associated with traditional cigarettes. It was developed with the idea that it would be safer by incorporating flavors and reducing the presence of harmful elements in combustion, which is wrong. due to the generation of other toxic compounds added to the association with alcohol and other drugs. These devices aim to combat nicotine addiction, allowing a gradual reduction in the concentration of this substance until its complete elimination. Rheology, defined as the study of the “flow and deformation behavior of materials”, plays a fundamental role in understanding the flow mechanism of blood and circulating cells. This knowledge leads to Hemorheology, which is the science that investigates the deformation, flow and composition of blood. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate hemorheological parameters in traditional and electronic cigarette users. Rheological analyzes were carried out on 18 plasma samples, evaluating viscosity and shear rate. When compared to the control group (non-smokers), the group of traditional cigarette users showed a decrease in viscosity and an increase in the shear rate. No significant changes were observed when compared to the group of electronic cigarette users, which may be related to the time of use or because they are a young population. However, additional studies are needed to evaluate the factors that may have interfered with the results of the hemorological parameters.