Research Study on the Effects of Smoking on Arteries

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Smoking

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT00948454

704074

0775

Details and patient eligibility

About

The current proposal, will elucidate the role of oxidant stress (OS) on arterial function as measured by flow mediated vasodilation. In addition, the investigators will address the hypothesis, that a pro-oxidant might have different degrees of effects on different biological targets, by performing quantitative assessment of the effects of OS on lipids, proteins and DNA.

Enrollment: 105 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Chronic smokers (of between 4 and 20 years duration) and non-smokers will be recruited to the GCRC. Smokers will be allocated to a "light" group, smoking 4-10 cigarettes per day and a "heavy" smoking group who smoke 11-20 cigarettes per day.
• Non-smokers will be defined as those with a life time consumption of no more than 20 cigarettes, do not live or work in a smoky atmosphere.
• All individuals will have a normal history and clinical examination, including a normal EKG, urinalysis and serum chemistry, haemogram and negative urinary pregnancy test.

Exclusion criteria

• previously suffered an acute major cardiovascular event
• those with a chronic disease
• those taking chronic medication
• those with a history of alcoholism or substance abuse
• Ex-smokers
• Subjects, who have less than or equal to 60% platelet aggregation in response to arachidonic acid

Trial design

105 participants in 3 patient groups

Light smokers

Description:

2 blood draws, 3 urine collections and a test called an FMD which tests the circulation in your arm via ultrasound will be performed on the study day. Subjects will bring their own cigarettes on that day and smoke their regular amount. Female subjects will also have a pregnancy test done on the test day.

Heavy Smokers

Description:

2 blood draws, 3 urine collections and a test called an FMD which tests the circulation in your arm via ultrasound will be performed on the study day. Subjects will bring their own cigarettes on that day and smoke their regular amount. Female subjects will also have a pregnancy test done on the test day.

Non Smokers

Description:

2 blood draws, 3 urine collections and a test called an FMD which tests the circulation in your arm via ultrasound will be performed on the study day. Female subjects will also have a pregnancy test done on the test day.