Category: Substance Use

Categories : Respiratory Diseases Substance UseTags :

Emphysema Found to be More Common in Marijuana Smokers

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Anatomical model of lungs
Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Airway inflammation and emphysema are more common in marijuana smokers than cigarette smokers, according to a study published in Radiology. Researchers said the difference may be due to the way that marijuana is smoked, which is usually inhaled more deeply and without a filter.

Marijuana is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances in the world and the most-commonly smoked substance after tobacco. Its use has increased in recent years amid legalisation of recreational marijuana in many countries. The growing use has created an urgent need for information on marijuana’s effects on the lungs, something that is currently lacking.

“We know what cigarettes do to the lungs,” said study author Giselle Revah, MD, a cardiothoracic radiologist and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa. “There are well researched and established findings of cigarette smoking on the lungs. Marijuana we know very little about.” 

To find out more, Dr Revah and colleagues compared chest CT results from 56 marijuana smokers with those of 57 non-smoking controls and 33 tobacco-only smokers.

Pulmonary emphysema in (A, B) marijuana and (C, D) tobacco smokers. (A) Axial and (B) coronal CT images in a 44-year-old male marijuana smoker show paraseptal emphysema (arrowheads) in bilateral upper lobes. (C) Axial and (D) coronal CT images in a 66-year-old female tobacco smoker with centrilobular emphysema represented by areas of centrilobular lucency (arrowheads). (Murtha, et al.)

Lack of filtering partly to blame

Three-quarters of the marijuana smokers had emphysema, a lung disease that causes difficulty with breathing, compared with 67% of the tobacco-only smokers. Only 5% of the non-smokers had emphysema. Paraseptal emphysema, which damages the tiny ducts that connect to the air sacs in the lungs, was the predominant emphysema subtype in marijuana smokers compared to the tobacco-only group.

Airway inflammation was also more common in marijuana smokers than non-smokers and tobacco-only smokers, as was gynecomastia, enlarged male breast tissue due to a hormone imbalance. Gynecomastia was found in 38% of the marijuana smokers, compared with 11% of the tobacco-only smokers and 16% of the controls. 

The researchers found similar results among age-matched subgroups, where the rates of emphysema and airway inflammation were again higher in the marijuana smokers than the tobacco-only smokers.

There was no difference in coronary artery calcification between age-matched marijuana and tobacco-only groups.

Dr. Revah said the results were surprising, especially considering that the patients in the tobacco-only group had an extensive smoking history.

“The fact that our marijuana smokers – some of whom also smoked tobacco – had additional findings of airway inflammation/chronic bronchitis suggests that marijuana has additional synergistic effects on the lungs above tobacco,” she said. “In addition, our results were still significant when we compared the non-age-matched groups, including younger patients who smoked marijuana and who presumably had less lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke.” 

The reasons for the differences between the two groups is likely due to several factors. Marijuana is smoked unfiltered, Dr Revah noted, while tobacco cigarettes are usually filtered. This results in more particulates reaching the airways from smoking marijuana.

In addition, marijuana is inhaled with a longer breath hold and puff volume than tobacco smoke.

“It has been suggested that smoking a marijuana joint deposits four times more particulates in the lung than an average tobacco cigarette,” Dr Revah said. “These particulates are likely airway irritants.”

The higher incidence of emphysema may also be due to the way that marijuana is smoked. Full inhalation with a sustained Valsalva manoeuvre, an attempt at exhalation against a closed airway, may lead to trauma and peripheral airspace changes. 

More research is needed, Dr Revah said, with larger groups of people and more data on how much and how often people are smoking. Future research could also look at the impact of different inhalation techniques, such as through a bong, a joint or a pipe.

“It would be interesting to see if the inhalation method makes a difference,” Dr Revah said.

For More Information

Read the Radiology study, “Chest CT Findings in Marijuana Smokers,” and the related editorial.

Source: Radiological Society of North America

Categories : Substance Use VaccinesTags :

To Fight the Opioid Epidemic, Researchers Create a Vaccine that Blocks Fentanyl

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Researchers have developed a vaccine that blocks fentanyl’s to enter the brain, thus eliminating the dangerous synthetic opioid’s “high”. The breakthrough discovery, reported in the journal Pharmaceutics, could have major implications for the rampant problem of opioid addiction by becoming a relapse prevention agent for people trying to quit using opioids.

While Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is treatable, studies estimate that 80% of those dependent on the drug suffer a relapse. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Consumption of about 2mg of fentanyl (the size of two grains of rice) is likely to be fatal depending on bodyweight. Current treatments for OUD are methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. Naloxone is given in opioid overdose situations and can temporarily reverse the effects of the opioids.

“We believe these findings could have a significant impact on a very serious problem plaguing society for years – opioid misuse. Our vaccine is able to generate anti-fentanyl antibodies that bind to the consumed fentanyl and prevent it from entering the brain, allowing it to be eliminated out of the body via the kidneys. Thus, the individual will not feel the euphoric effects and can ‘get back on the wagon’ to sobriety,” said lead author Colin Haile, a research associate professor of psychology at University of Houston.

No any adverse side effects from the vaccine were observed in trial animals. The team plans to start manufacturing clinical-grade vaccine in the coming months with clinical trials in humans planned soon.

Fentanyl is an especially dangerous threat because it is often added to street drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and other opioids, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone/acetaminophen pills, and even to counterfeit benzodiazepines like Xanax. These counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl add to the amount of fentanyl overdoses in individuals who do not ordinarily consume opioids.

“The anti-fentanyl antibodies were specific to fentanyl and a fentanyl derivative and did not cross-react with other opioids, such as morphine. That means a vaccinated person would still be able to be treated for pain relief with other opioids,” said Haile.

The vaccine tested contains an adjuvant derived from E. coli named dmLT. An adjuvant molecule boosts the immune system’s response to vaccines, a critical component for the effectiveness of anti-addiction vaccines.

Therese Kosten, professor of psychology and director of the Developmental, Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience program at UH, calls the new vaccine a potential “game changer.”

“Fentanyl use and overdose is a particular treatment challenge that is not adequately addressed with current medications because of its pharmacodynamics and managing acute overdose with the short-acting naloxone is not appropriately effective as multiple doses of naloxone are often needed to reverse fentanyl’s fatal effects,” said Kosten, senior author of the study.

Source: University of Houston

Categories : Substance UseTags :

ADHD Drug for Amphetamine Addiction Linked to Reduced Risks

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In a large registry-based study investigating medication use in people with substance use disorders, the ADHD medication lisdexamfetamine was associated with the lowest risk of hospitalisation and death in people with amphetamine addiction. The findings, which also showed drugs which worsened outcomes, were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

“Our results suggest that lisdexamfetamine is associated with the best outcomes, and encourage the conduction of randomised controlled trials to explore this further, says first author Jari Tiihonen, professor at Karolinska Institutet.

Worldwide, amphetamines are the second most used illicit drugs and hospitalisations related to its use are rising.

At present, there are no approved pharmacological interventions available for treating amphetamine or methamphetamine addiction. While certain medications have shown promising results, the studies so far have often been small and convincing evidence is lacking.

Registry-based study

In the present study, the researchers investigated the association between generally used medications among persons with substance use disorder and the risk of two primary outcomes in people with amphetamine or methamphetamine use disorder: 1) hospitalisation due to substance use disorder or 2) hospitalisation due to any cause, or death.

The study enrolled nearly 14 000 individuals aged 16 to 64 years in Sweden with a registered first-time diagnosis of amphetamine or methamphetamine use disorder from July 2006 to December 2018. Individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were excluded.

Patients were followed from diagnosis until they died, emigrated, were diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or the study ended. The median follow-up time was 3.9 years.

Comparing effects in the same individual

The researchers looked at how the risk of hospitalisation or death for each individual differed depending on whether they were on or off the medication at that time.

”Our results show that lisdexamfetamine, a medication approved for treating ADHD and in some countries also for binge eating, was the only specific medication associated with reduced risk of hospitalisation and death,” says first author Milja Heikkinen, researcher at the University of Eastern Finland and Niuvanniemi Hospital.

The risk of hospitalisation due to substance use disorder was 18% lower and the risk of hospitalisation due to any cause or death was 14% lower during periods of lisdexamfetamine use, compared to periods without the ADHD medication.

The combination of two or more different medications for substance use disorder was also associated with a lower risk of hospitalisation or death.

Some medications linked to worse outcomes

Use of benzodiazepines was associated with poorer outcomes; 17% higher risk of hospitalisation due to substance use disorder and 20% higher risk of hospitalisation due to any cause or death, during periods of use compared to periods of non-use. The use of antidepressants was also associated with slightly worse outcomes than non-use.

The researchers note that pharmacological treatments are often discontinued when the clinical state has improved, and are started when the clinical state deteriorates. Therefore, the results may underestimate the putative beneficial effect of treatments. To control for this phenomenon, the researchers conducted analyses by omitting the first 30 days of use. The results were then in line with the main analyses.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Healthcare Politics and Regulations Substance UseTags :

Liquor Amendment Bill Might be Further Toughened up

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Source: Pixabay CC0

By Marecia Damons

Information about alcohol abuse gathered during the COVID lockdown may prompt further changes to the Liquor Amendment Bill, says the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. The Bill has been on hold since 2018.

The Bill seeks to amend the National Liquor Act of 2003, by tightening alcohol restrictions and advertising and regulating where alcohol is sold.

Spokesperson Bongani Lukhele said the Bill was under review by the department.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, it became more apparent that the problem of liquor abuse is quite huge in South Africa and requires more concerted measures, and that the Bill may not address the scale of the problem as the problem requires a concerted effort in government,” said Lukhele.

He said the department would reintroduce the bill to Parliament. Lukhele said as well as legislation to address liquor use, there was a need for health, education and behaviour issues to be addressed as well.

“Provincial laws must also be reviewed as it impacts directly on the retail trade,” Lukhele added.

Meanwhile, lobby groups are growing impatient with delays in the implementation of the bill.

Maurice Smithers, director of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa, said the Liquor Act had been reviewed in 2015 and found to be inadequate and inconsistent with the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The Global Strategy suggests three priorities: reducing the availability of alcohol, increasing its cost, and limiting or banning marketing.

As a result, changes were proposed in the Liquor Bill, drafted in 2016, including:

  • restricting advertising of alcohol on public platforms;
  • increasing the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 years;
  • regulating specific trading days and hours for alcohol to be distributed and manufactured; and
  • placing liability on alcohol retailers and manufacturers for harm related to the contravention of regulations.

The amendments also propose banning alcohol advertising on radio and television at certain times and on billboards less than 100 metres away from junctions, street corners and traffic circles.

The bill was approved by Cabinet for public comment in 2016.

Smithers told GroundUp that the socio-economic and health problems associated with alcohol would worsen over time if the Bill and other legislation was not passed.

“The overall cost to society of such harm will continue to burden the state and divert resources from other delivery areas. Some specific consequences are that petrol stations are now applying for licences, something they would not be able to do if the bill were passed.”

“The current proposals in the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill which will allow schools to have alcohol at schools and at school functions off school premises for fund-raising purposes would also not be allowed if the bill were passed,” said Smithers.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has said the department supports zero tolerance of alcohol at schools, but schools do sell alcohol during fund-raising and do hire out halls for functions where alcohol is consumed. She said the clauses in the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act are intended only to regulate this.

Onesisa Mtwa, innovation manager at the DG Murray Trust, told GroundUp that stronger regulations were necessary to address and reduce harmful patterns of consumption such as heavy and binge drinking.

In its 2018 Global Survey on Alcohol and Health, the WHO indicated that in 2016, South African drinkers over the age of 15 years consumed, on average, 64.6 grams of pure alcohol per day.

The data further showed that South African drinkers over 15 years old consumed 29.9 litres of pure alcohol in a year —the third highest consumption in Africa.

Citing a 2017  by economics-based consulting firm Genesis Analytics, Mtwa said the Bill could reduce alcohol consumption by between 3.2% and 7.4% which would, in turn, reduce public health costs by R1.9 billion per year.

“Despite the industry’s claims that this Bill will destroy the industry,” Mtwa said, the impact assessment suggested that South Africa’s gross domestic product would drop by less than 1%.

A study by the University of Cape Town and the Medical Research Council found that alcohol bans during COVID were strongly associated with a large drop in unnatural deaths (murders, vehicle collisions, suicides and accidents).

Researchers looked at death data during alcohol restrictions and curfews under the national lockdown from the end of December 2019 to late April 2021. The drop in unnatural deaths associated with a full alcohol ban ranged from 42 deaths per day under a curfew of 4 to 7 hours to 74 per day under hard lockdown.

Mtwa said implementing the bill would need “extensive” national and provincial cooperation.

“Some areas of regulation such as retail sales and liquor licences lie with provinces, while liability issues, manufacturers and the drinking age would be regulated by the national government. This highlights the need for a whole-of-government approach to reducing alcohol-related harm,” she adds.

Smithers said although the bill is not a silver bullet, it would send a signal to society that the government is serious about addressing the issue of alcohol-related harm.

“It’s not a perfect bill and it won’t result in a perfect act, but it is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Republished from GroundUp under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Source: GroundUp

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Substance UseTags :

Marijuana and other Substances Linked to Atrial Fibrillation

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Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya on Pexels

A new longitudinal study of more than 23 million people in the US concludes that some commonly used and abused drugs pose previously unidentified risks for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). The results appeared in the European Heart Journal.

The researchers analysed data from diagnostic codes from every hospital admission, emergency room visit and medical procedure in California for the years 2005 through 2015, identifying nearly one million people without preexisting AF, but who later developed AF during these years.

They found 132 834 patients used cannabis, 98 271 used methamphetamine, 48 700 used cocaine, and 10 032 used opiates. In the study, the researchers found that marijuana users had a 35% increased likelihood of later developing AF.

“Despite exhibiting a weaker association with incident AF than the other substances, cannabis use still exhibited an association of similar or greater magnitude to risk factors like dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. Furthermore, those with cannabis use exhibited similar relative risk of incident AF as those with traditional tobacco use,” the study authors reported.

“To my knowledge, this is the first study to look at marijuana use as a predictor of future atrial fibrillation risk,” said principal investigator Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS, a UCSF professor of Medicine with the Division of Cardiology.

AF is an abnormally disordered pumping rhythm arising from electrical disturbances in the atria. In severe cases of faulty atrial pumping, clots may form in the atria, and then break off into the bloodstream and cause deadly strokes. AF-related strokes cause more than 150 000 US deaths each year.

Unlike cocaine or methamphetamine use, both stimulants previously known to sometimes lead to sudden cardiac death due to profound disruptions in the orderly electrical signalling and pumping within ventricles there is no demonstrated mechanism whereby marijuana use causes heart arrhythmias.

Source: University of California San Francisco

Categories : Paediatrics Substance UseTags :

Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Impacts Persist to Pre-adolescence

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Children
Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

Children who were exposed to cannabis in the womb continue to show elevated rates of symptoms of psychopathology (depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions), even as they reach pre-adolescence (aged 11–12), according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study, led by Ryan Bogdan, associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, is a follow-up to 2020 research from the Bogdan lab that revealed younger children who had been prenatally exposed to cannabis were slightly more likely to have had, inter alia, sleep problems, lower birth weight and lower cognitive performance.

In both cases, the effect is strongest when looking at exposure to cannabis after the pregnancy is known. To find out whether or not these associations persisted as the children aged, David Baranger, a postdoctoral researcher in the BRAIN Lab, revisited the more than 10 500 children from the 2020 analysis, who were an averaged of 10 years old in 2020.

The data on the children and their mothers came from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study), an ongoing study of nearly 12 000 children, beginning in 2016 when they were 9–10 years old, and their parents or caregivers.

This seemingly small change in age – from 10 to 12 – is an important one. “During the first wave, they were just children. Now they’re edging up on adolescence,” Baranger said. “We know this is a period when a large proportion of mental health diagnoses occur.”

An analysis of the more recent data showed no significant changes in the rate of psychiatric conditions as the children aged; they remain at greater risk for clinical psychiatric disorders and problematic substance use as they enter the later adolescent years.

“Once they hit 14 or 15, we’re expecting to see further increases in mental health disorders or other psychiatric conditions – increases that will continue into the kids’ early 20s,” Baranger said.

Source: University of Washington in St. Louis

Categories : Medical Research & Technology Substance UseTags :

Opioid Respiratory Depression Reversed with Electrical Pulses

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Opioid use is a significant cause of premature death, caused by supressing respiratory activity. New research, published in The Journal of Physiology, points to a novel treatment for respiratory depression associated with opioid use that administers electrical pulses to the back of the neck, helping patients regain respiratory control following high dosage opioid use.

Breathing problems can occur after opioid use or post-operative complications from anaesthesia because opioids desensitise the brain stem to rises in carbon dioxide. This can cause respiratory failure, which can be fatal. Current treatments, such as manual lung inflation and medication, can work in the short term to combat breathing problems following opioid use, but getting patients to breathe independently remains a challenge. Therefore, this new research, which administers epidural electrical stimulation (EES) offers an alternative, non-pharmacological treatment.

EES administered at the cervical spinal cord, which is located at the back of the neck, activates a network of neurons in the brainstem that stimulates and coordinates respiratory muscles and improves the rate and depth of breathing.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), targeted sensory-motor circuits in the cervical spinal cord of 18 patients with degenerative spine diseases who were anaesthetised for surgical treatment. They delivered 30 Hertz of EES to the cervical spinal cord continuously for no longer than 90 seconds.

They found that short periods of continuous low-intensity EES not only increased the volume of breath but also actively controlled the frequency and rhythm during opioid-induced breathing problems. The rhythmic breathing pattern was sustained briefly after the EES stopped in the presence of high-dose opioids.

Senior author Dr Daniel Lu, UCLA professor and vice chair of neurosurgery, said: “Our results provide proof of principle that cervical EES could improve respiration following opioid use. We can compare the human body to a car, our goal is to jump start the body so it can run by itself without periodic pushes. We hope to use EES to provide novel approaches to restore breathing for healthcare providers as we are now using defibrillation devices for restoring cardiac activities.”

Future human trials with larger cohorts will be conducted to further assess the practical application and impact of EES to determine whether EES can alleviate or reduce the need for ventilator support in acute pathological conditions such as OIRD, stroke, and traumatic brain, brain stem or spinal cord injury. Experimental studies in mice will be carried out to further investigate the role specific neurons play in response to EES.

Source: Physiological Society

Categories : Substance UseTags :

Surprising Trends among Vaping Teens Reveal Vulnerable Groups

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Photo by Nery Zarat on Unsplash

A study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine used survey data from US high school students to determine how prevalent vaping is in different sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity groups. They found dramatic differences and surprising patterns in vaping rates across these identity markers.

Vaping is on the rise among teens, with half of all US high school students in having tried vaping at least once and a third of these students vaping regularly.

From 2019–2020, the popularity of disposable e-cigarette use among US high school students who currently vaped went up by 1000%, from 2.4% to 26.5%, according to the CDC. Since nicotine in e-cigarettes is highly addictive, and e-cigarette use in teens leads to higher risks of smoking regular cigarettes later in life, researchers wanted to know more about which groups of teens are currently vaping and possible predisposing factors.

The study, which uses survey data of over 38 000 high school students from 2015–2019, fills in a wide gap that exists in e-cigarette studies: research on vaping prevalence among young people at the intersections of more than one minoritised identity.

The study uncovered significant differences in the prevalence of current e-cigarette use between lesbian and heterosexual girls when comparing across racial groups. 

Current e-cigarette use was higher in Black lesbian girls compared to Black heterosexual girls (18.2% vs 7.1%). The rate was also higher in multiracial girls who identify as lesbian compared to multiracial girls who identify as heterosexual (17.9% vs 11.9%). On the other hand, White lesbian girls were found to be at lower risk of current vaping compared to White heterosexual girls (9.1% vs 16.1%).

Among boys, there were no significant interactions between sexual orientation and race or ethnicity in relation to vaping prevalence. 

Previous surveys of gay and lesbian teens suggest that e-cigarette use might be a coping mechanism to deal with the stress of sexual orientation or gender identity-based discrimination or bullying, or a way to bond with others in their social circle, the authors say. However, prior studies have not reported how e-cigarette use prevalence among youth differ at the intersections of sexual orientation, sex, race, and ethnicity. 

One possible reason for finding disparities in e-cigarette use at the intersection of sexual orientation and race among girls, but not boys may be due to higher levels of targeted e-cigarette marketing toward queer women of color, the authors say. 

Prior research has found that when compared to White heterosexual young women (aged 18-24), bisexual Black and Hispanic women reported higher levels of exposure to ads for tobacco products, while there were no substantial differences in exposure to these ads among young adult men.

“For years, the tobacco industry has targeted marketing toward traditionally marginalised groups, whether in clubs, bars, Pride events, or through magazines,” said co-author Andy Tan, associate professor at the Annenberg School for Communication. “Sexual, racial, and ethnic minority youth are more likely to report engaging with online tobacco advertising including e-cigarette ads on social media.”

Source: University of Pennsylvania

Categories : Pain Management Substance UseTags :

Many Medical Cannabis Users also Use Nicotine

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Users of medical cannabis are more likely to also use nicotine products than the general population, according to a Rutgers University study published in the American Journal on Addictions.

“Simultaneous use of cannabis and nicotine is a growing concern, but while the relationship between recreational cannabis and nicotine use is well-established, little is known about nicotine use among users of medical cannabis,” said Mary Bridgeman, a clinical professor at Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.

The researchers surveyed 697 patients aged 18–89 at a medical marijuana dispensary on their nicotine and cannabis use, how they self-administered the cannabis (smoked, vaped) and the medical conditions that qualified them for using therapeutic cannabis.

Nearly 40% of medical marijuana users reported using nicotine – sharply higher than the 14% of US adults who smoke.

Therapeutic cannabis users who also used electronic cigarettes or didn’t use nicotine at all were about four times more likely to vape, rather than smoke, cannabis than those who exclusively smoked cigarettes.

The study also found 75% of the respondents smoked cannabis rather than vaped and about 80% of the cigarette smokers reported planning to quit in the next six months.

“These findings reveal that while medical cannabis dispensaries may recommend vaping rather than smoking cannabis due to the health concerns associated with combustible products, this recommendation alone may not influence patients who also smoke cigarettes,” said Professor Marc Steinberg, co-author of the study.

“Between the higher rates of nicotine use in those using medical cannabis, the fact that cigarette smokers opt to smoke cannabis as well and that those people also are seeking to quit using nicotine presents a strong argument that dispensaries provide tobacco control messaging at the point-of-sale to encourage cigarette smokers to quit,” Prof Steinberg added. “The strategy also could increase the chances that a medical cannabis user would vape the product, which is a less harmful route than smoking.”

Source: Rutgers University

Categories : Substance UseTags :

The Chemistry of Morning Coffee and Cigarettes

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Coffee cup and beans
Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

For many smokers, a coffee is needed to make that first cigarette of the day satisfying. A new study suggests that a chemical compound – not caffeine – may help blunt morning nicotine cravings.

Researchers in the study identified two compounds in coffee that directly affect certain high-sensitivity nicotine receptors in the brain. In smokers, these brain receptors can be hypersensitive after a night without nicotine.

Published in the journal Neuropharmacology, the findings have yet to be tested in humans but are an important step toward better understanding how coffee and cigarettes affect nicotine receptors in the brain, explained Roger L. Papke, PhD, a pharmacology professor in the University of Florida College of Medicine. The caffeine in coffee gives a wellness boost to its drinkers, but smokers may get something more.

“Many people like caffeine in the morning but there are other molecules in coffee that may explain why cigarette smokers want their coffee,” Prof Papke said.

The researchers applied a dark-roasted coffee solution to cells that express a particular human nicotine receptor. An organic chemical compound in coffee may help restore the nicotine receptor dysfunction that leads to nicotine cravings in smokers, the researchers concluded.

Prof Papke hypothesises that one of the compounds in brewed coffee, known as n-MP, may help to quell morning nicotine cravings.

Prof Papke said he was intrigued by the idea that nicotine-dependent smokers associate tobacco use with coffee in the morning and alcohol in the evening. While alcohol’s effect on nicotine receptors in the brain has been well researched, the receptors’ interaction with coffee is less studied.

“Many people look for coffee in the morning because of the caffeine. But was the coffee doing anything else to smokers? We wanted to know if there were other things in coffee that were affecting the brain’s nicotine receptors,” Prof Papke said.

The findings, he said, provide a good foundation for behavioural scientists who could further study nicotine withdrawal in animal models.

Source: University of Florida