Heated tobacco as harmful as cigarettes: study
Heated tobacco products cause similar gut and vascular damage as cigarettes, challenging claims of reduced harm.
Why it matters
- Both heated tobacco and cigarettes impair gut barrier integrity and increase cardiovascular risk.
- Challenges the notion that heated tobacco is a safer alternative to smoking.
By the numbers
- Specific numbers not provided in the abstract/main text.
The big picture
- Findings suggest urgent need for stronger tobacco control policies.
- Implications for public health and regulatory decisions regarding heated tobacco products.
What they're saying
- Skepticism about whether the study fully refutes reduced harm claims of HTPs.
- Concerns about study methodology, including sample size and lack of control for previous cigarette use.
- Questions about potential biases in previous studies funded by tobacco companies.
Caveats
- Study does not address overall risk reduction claims of HTPs.
- Concerns about sample size and lack of control for previous cigarette use.
What’s next
- Further research needed to confirm findings and address methodological concerns.