Nicotine – in any form – not safe..

September 13, 2007 - Nicotine – in any form – not safe.. A new study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City provides evidence that nicotine may accelerate atherosclerosis and may be as dangerous as tar. Right now, the general consensus is that the problem with cigarettes is tar and that nicotine is safe. That's why you can buy nicotine gum or patches to help you stop smoking. Our study presents new evidence that nicotine may not be safe at all, especially for your heart," says Dr. Daniel F. Catanzaro, principal investigator of the study, recently published in the journal Cardiovascular Toxicology. The study found that mice exposed to smoke from low-nicotine cigarettes had significantly smaller atherosclerotic lesions, compared to those exposed to regular cigarettes but still larger than lesions in control mice not exposed to cigarette smoke, which showed the least evidence of atherosclerosis. The accelerating effects of smoking on lesions was seen early, within weeks of smoke exposure. "While our study seems to suggest that low-nicotine cigarettes are safer, we also know that smokers adjust their smoking habits to maintain their level of nicotine. In other words, if you switch to a low-nicotine product, you will probably increase the number of cigarettes you smoke, or change the way you smoke to get more nicotine out of each cigarette. The best thing to do is quit," says Dr. Catanzaro. (Newswise Medical News, Tuesday, 9/11/07) Click on image to enlarge.. (Image from: www.freewebs.com/fourcrooks/)