Heated tobacco products like IQOS and Eclipse are often marketed as less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes, as the tobacco is heated rather than burned. However, a new European study has found that just one session of heated tobacco product use results in measurable damage to a person’s blood vessels.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, included a group of 30 adult smokers, with an average age of 34, who were otherwise healthy. Participants gave blood samples, had their blood pressure measured and their blood vessels assessed with an ultrasound scan of the main artery in the right arm. Participants then used a heated tobacco product, and the same set of tests were repeated.
Comparing measurements taken before and after use, the researchers identified several changes. First, systolic blood pressure increased by three millimeters of mercury. Second, blood vessel function decreased by 11%. Finally, there were signs that oxygen delivery around the body was reduced—venous O2 saturation fell from around 71% to around 46%.
Researchers also found DNA damage to blood cells and an oxidative stress response, a sign that the cells are trying to defend themselves against damage.
“Our findings demonstrate that these products are not biologically inert,” said study author Lea Strohm from the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany. “Acute exposure was sufficient to induce vascular dysfunction, metabolic disturbances and genetic damage in otherwise healthy smokers. These results challenge claims that heated tobacco products are substantially less harmful to the cardiovascular system compared with conventional cigarettes.”
The study provides a clear, controlled look at the immediate cardiovascular impact of heated tobacco use, but the researchers say larger long-term studies are still needed to understand how long these effects last.
Data from European Society of Cardiology