Effects of nicotine gum on coronary vasomotor responses during sympathetic stimulation in patients with coronary artery stenosis.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term effects of nicotine gum chewing on the dimensions of coronary arteries of patients with coronary artery disease and on the response of coronary vessels to sympathetic stimulation caused by the cold pressor test.

Why It Was Studied

However, nicotine may have adverse effects on coronary circulation.

These changes were similar before and after nicotine gum.

Who Took Part

The study group was 17 patients.

PubMed indexes the participants as middle-aged adults, both men and women.

In 17 patients who were past chronic cigarette smokers, cross-sectional areas of 32 coronary artery stenoses and 32 adjacent apparently normal segments were measured by using quantitative coronary angiography at baseline and after a cold pressor test before and after nicotine gum chewing.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Blood Pressure, Chewing Gum, Cold Temperature, Coronary Disease, Coronary Vessels, Ganglionic Stimulants and Heart Rate.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) in 17 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1999 (Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) compound page, all human trials.