Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

Cardio Pulmonary Disorders

Cardiopulmonary disease is the medical term used to describe a range of serious disorders that affect the heart and lungs. The two primary tobacco-related cardiopulmonary diseases are Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). Exposure to tobacco smoke has long been recognized as a prominent risk factor for CVD. Similarly minimizing exposure to tobacco smoke is the only effective way to prevent COPD. However, the mechanisms by which tobacco toxicants increase the risk of CVD and lead to the onset of COPD are still unclear. Despite reductions in smoking over the past decade, CVD and COPD remain the first and second leading causes of death among smokers. It is important to remember also that for every person who dies because of smoking; at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness.

The emergence of e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products that deliver nicotine aerosolized in various solvents raises new critical questions regarding the potential risk for cardiopulmonary disease among users. The use of these new tobacco products has soared over the last few years, particularly among adolescents, and is expected to overtake the conventional cigarette market within the next decade. These new products deliver nicotine and chemical flavorings aerosolized in a base of propylene glycol and/or glycerin via inhalation