|
ESC Congress 2003: Red wine against smoking
August 31, 2003IMPORTANT: This press release accompanies a poster or oral session given at the ESC Congress 2003. Written by the investigator himself/herself, this press release does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Society of Cardiology
The present study showed that the constituents of red wine, other than alcohol, counteracted acute arterial dysfunction that is present after smoking one cigarette. It is known that cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a common habit of millions of people. Our findings showed that 2 glasses (250 ml) of red wine suspend the harmful effect of one cigarette and leads us to further investigate constituents of red wine that could reverse arterial dysfunction caused by smoking.
The study was performed at the vascular laboratory of Alexandra Hospital in Athens, Greece, in sixteen healthy adults. We assessed their arterial function in three occasions: a) after smoking one cigarette, b) after drinking 2 glasses of red wine and smoking one cigarette and finally c) after drinking 2 glasses of red wine without alcohol and smoking one cigarette. For this purpose we used a famous Greek red wine, rich in polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants and we managed to remove alcohol without affecting any other constituent, producing non-alcoholic red wine, also used in the study. We previously tested the two types of wine for their constitution and sensory characteristics and we concluded that the two wines had similar flavour, colour and taste and similar amounts of their constituents, except from their alcohol content. This means that volunteers could not distinguish which type of red wine they consumed each time.
The results of the study confirmed previous findings of our laboratory that after smoking one cigarette and for the following 60 minutes there is a significant arterial dysfunction. However, simultaneous consumption of either regular red wine or non-alcoholic red wine with smoking one cigarette didn't cause any such dysfunction. These observations led us to speculate that either type of red wine counteracted smoke's arterial harmful effect. Since the presence or absence of alcohol on the two types of wine didn't influence the results, we can conclude that constituents of red wine other than alcohol are responsible for the reversal of arterial dysfunction caused by smoking.
It is very important that the meaning of our findings is not misinterpreted, as 2 glasses of wine counteracted acute smoking of one cigarette. This doesn't prove that regular consumption of red wine could possibly attenuate the harmful effect of chronic smoking. In addition, it is not wise to believe that a smoker could use 2 glasses of red wine for every cigarette he smoked in order to protect his vessels. What is more important is the fact that in the acute phase, red wine contains substances that are so powerful as to counteract the harmful effect of smoking on arterial function. This is very useful for the understanding of the mechanisms through which smoking induces arterial dysfunction and subsequent cardiovascular disease and hopeful for the discovery of substances capable of reversing smokes harmful effects.
It is essential that future studies define which specific component or components of red wine are responsible for the reversal of smoke's acute harmful effects and possibly enable large trials to investigate protection against habitual smoking.
John Lekakis or Christos Papamichael
Department of Clinical Therapeutics,
Alexandra University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Smoking News and Current Smoking Events RSSHeart disease is linked to worse mental processes that, in turn, predict the onset of dementia
Coronary heart disease is associated with a worse performance in mental processes such as reasoning, vocabulary and verbal fluency, according to a study of 5837 middle-aged Whitehall civil servants.
Drug abuse accounts for a third of the deaths behind Scotland's higher mortality rate
Drug abuse accounts for a third of the deaths behind Scotland's higher mortality rate, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
Does too much sun cause melanoma?
We are continuously bombarded with messages about the dangers of too much sun and the increased risk of melanoma (the less common and deadliest form of skin cancer), but are these dangers real, or is staying out of the sun causing us more harm than good?
Beijing pollution may trigger heart attacks, strokes
Olympic athletes aren't the only ones who need to be concerned about the heavily polluted air in Beijing. The dirty air may trigger serious cardiovascular problems for some spectators.
Gene panel predicts lung cancer survival, study finds
Researchers from four leading cancer centers have confirmed that an analysis involving a panel of genes can be used to predict which lung cancer patients will have the worst survival. The finding could one day lead to a test that would help determine who needs more aggressive treatment.
Coffee and cigarette consumption are high among AA attendees
More than one million Americans currently participate in the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program. While AA participants are reportedly notorious for their coffee drinking and cigarette smoking, very little research has quantified their consumption of these two products.
Teen smokers struggle to kick the habit; most want to quit and can't
Most teenagers who smoke cigarettes make repeated attempts to quit but most are unsuccessful, according to new research from the Université de Montréal and funded by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Tobacco industry manipulated cigarette menthol content to recruit new smokers among young people
Menthol cigarette brands have been rising in popularity with adolescents, and the highest use has been among younger, newer smokers. Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) explored tobacco industry manipulation of menthol levels in specific brands and found a deliberate strategy to recruit and addict young smokers by adjusting menthol to create a milder experience for the first time smoker.
Obese men have less semen, more sperm abnormalities, and should lose weight before trying for a baby
Obese men should consider losing weight if they want to have children, a scientist told the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
Patients unaware of link between smoking and bladder cancer
Even though cigarette smoking accounts for up to half of all bladder cancer cases, few people are aware of the connection - including more than three-quarters of patients who have bladder cancer.
More Smoking News Articles
 | The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr's Easyway Method by Allen Carr |
 | Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn |
 | Backyard BBQ: The Art of Smokology by Richard W. McPeake |
 | The Sixty-Second Motivator by Jim Johnson |
 | Self-Defeating Behaviors: Free Yourself from the Habits, Compulsions, Feelings, and Attitudes That Hold You Back by Milton R. Cudney, Robert E. Hardy |
 | The Little Book of Quitting by Allen Carr |
 | A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game by Wilbur F. Eastman |
 | Thank You for Smoking: A Novel by Christopher Buckley |
 | Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food by Warren R. Anderson |
 | Smokin': Recipes for Smoking Ribs, Salmon, Chicken, Mozzarella, and More with Your Stovetop Smoker by Christopher Styler |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |