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MONDAY, Nov. 5, 2018 – Smoking hookahs could be as damaging to blood vessels as smoking cigarettes, according to a new study.
Hookahs, also known as water pipes, were touted as a safe alternative to cigarettes, but researchers found that blood vessels were affected in the same way. In addition, when the hookah is heated with charcoal, there is a marked increase in carbon monoxide.
"The hookah is the only form of tobacco product that uses charcoal briquettes to heat the flavored tobacco in the water pipe," said study author Mary Rezk-Hanna, Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of California at Los Angeles.
"Thus, in addition to the toxic substances of tobacco and nicotine, narghile smoke exposes users to the products of burning charcoal, including large amounts of carbon monoxide," she said.
A narghile consists of a bowl, a chamber partially filled with water, a pipe and a mouthpiece. It is designed to burn tobacco, usually flavored with fruits or candies.
For the study, Rezk-Hanna and her colleagues studied 30 young hookah smokers, averaging 26 years old, before and after smoking coal-heated narghile. The researchers measured levels of nicotine in the blood, exhaled carbon monoxide and the ease of blood circulation in the vessels.
They also took the same steps before and after 20 participants used an electrically heated narghile. In addition, they compared the results with those who had smoked a cigarette.
Although nicotine levels increased with all smoking products, exhaled carbon monoxide increased 9 to 10 times with charcoal-heated hookahs compared to electronically heated hookahs or cigarettes, researchers said. .
In addition, both hookah and cigarette types had a similar negative effect on the blood vessels, resulting in decreased blood flow.
The results are expected to be presented on November 11 at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago.
The main difference between charcoal and electric heated hookah and smoking is the high levels of carbon monoxide produced by charcoal briquettes, the researchers said.
Carbon monoxide is known to dilate blood vessels and appears to mask impaired blood vessel function, Rezk-Hanna said in a press release.
The use of hookah, heated with charcoal or electricity, can damage other aspects of blood vessel functions essential for cardiovascular health, the researchers concluded.
Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
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