THE EFFECT OF NICOTINE GUM ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE

Smoking is an important risk factor of coronary artery disease. Nicotinereplacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation should be considered, especially incoronary patients. Twenty-four healthy smokers, smoking an average of 20 cigarettes a day for15 years and with moderate cigarette dependence (according to the Fagershtrumquestionnaire score) were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 8 and followed up for 5 days.The first group consisted only of cigarette smokers. The smokers in the second group were given a piece of nicotine gum every two hours. The smokers in the third group were given a piece of non-nicotine gum (placebo) every 2 hours. The subjects'' blood pressure and heart rate were checked 12 times during four daily intervals (between 7 AM and 12 PM, 1 PM and 6 PM, 7 PM and 12 PM, 1 AM and 6 AM) and recorded in related forms. Systolic pressure was not significantly different in the three groups, but diastolicblood pressure of cigarette smokers was evidently higher than that of subjects who usednicotine and non-nicotine (placebo) gums. Heart rate in smokers was higher than in nicotine and placebo users(P<0.0001). It seems that nicotine gum does not act as a cardiovascular disease risk factor.Hence in the context of smoking cessation efforts, its prescription to smokers withcardiovascular disease is recommended.