Low tar cigs just as bad for you

New research has shown that low tar 'lite' cigarettes can damage the heart as much as regular cigarettes.

A study in the journal Heart has indicated that low tar cigarettes impair blood flow through the heart as severely as regular higher tar cigarettes.

The study looked at 62 people in their mid-20s, with no evidence of coronary artery disease.

Twenty had smoked low tar, low nicotine cigarettes for at least three years; 20 others had smoked regular cigarettes for the same period, and the remainder were non-smokers.

All participants in the study were assessed for cardiovascular fitness, and in the case of the smokers, these tests were carried out two days before and 30 minutes after smoking two of their usual cigarettes within the space of 15 minutes.

The researchers focused on coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR), which is a measure of how readily coronary arteries can dilate in response to increased blood flow.

The two groups of smokers were similar in terms of their general health and the number of cigarettes they regularly smoked.

The test results showed that blood pressure and heart rate both rose after smoking, irrespective of cigarette type.

Similarly, CFVR, which was already lower in both groups of smokers than it was in non-smokers, fell further still after smoking, irrespective of cigarette type.

The authors say their results show that both light cigarettes and regular cigarettes impair blood flow through the coronary arteries to a similar degree.

They add that many smokers switch to low tar, low nicotine cigarettes in the mistaken belief that they will reduce some of the hazardous effects of smoking.