Evening star., 1953-05-08
Blood Pressure Raised
Bv Tiny Bit of Nicotine
Medical Journul Urges
Study Of Smoking Effects
BY Thomos r. Henry

Nicotine serves as Q trigger 10 re-
lease q hormone which raises blood
pressure from the pituitary gland at
the base Of the brain.
This hormone. q substance Of which
extremely minute amounts produce
great effects, is similar to and
probably identical with vasopressin.
This is one of the first-known chem
ical mediators secreted by the posterior
lobe of the pituitary.
This finding by DIR. ]. H. Burn, re-
Gently reported in the British Medical
journal, has just been cited by the
American Medical Association as
among the most potent reasons for
more intensive scientific study Of the
effects Of the most commonly used OF
all drugs. The effect does not take
place when nicotine-free cigarettes are
used. It Is produced by injections OF
minute amounts Of the material.
Doctors More Skeptical.
Medical men in both the United
States and Europe apparently are get
ting more and more skeptical about
the cigarette. once described as coffin
nail" on the basis Of practically no
scientific evidence. Partially as a re-
action from the unsupported charges.
this form of smoking got an almost
clean bill of health for q time until.
within the past two or three years, evi.
dence has started to pile up against 1t.
This began with studies which showed
considerable probability that it might
be a major cause for lung cancers, the
most rapidly increasing type of malig-
nant growthS. The thesis still Is un.
proved. It was the subject Of q major
report before the last meeting Of the
National Academy Of Sciences.
The nicotine in cigarettes, per Sc.
never has been charged specifically
with causing lung cancer. but the latest
findings tend to lend some Justification
to the present costly advertising cam
paigns of cigarette manufacturers
stressing the lack Of harmful amounts
Of this drug in their products.
Usually the Cigarette.
The pituitary hormone presumably
would be released by nicotine taken into
the blood stream by any means, but
the cigarette happens to be the most
common way.
"It is now generally agreed" says the
Journal of the American Medical Asso-
citation, that the large majority Of
normal persons respond to cigarette
smoking with definite peripheral vaso-
construction. lasting from a few minutes
to a half hour or even longer before
the blood vessels gradually return to
normal. There is increase in the pulse
rate of from five to 20 beats per minute.
There is, however, considerable indi-
vidual variation. There is some evi-
dence to suggest that smoking occa-
sionally produces a symptom complex
similar to angina pectoris."
It sometimes has been claimed that
alcohol is an effective counteragent to
the effect of nicotine in raising blood
pressure. This may be true some Of
the time, according to the American
Medical Association editorial, but re-
cent experiments have shown that it
is not necessarily so, and that a great
deal depends on the individual. There
is substantial evidence, it is claimed,
that nicotine either causes or intensi-
fles various other conditions.
Study Needed.
Although" says the Journal, "it may
be generally concluded that cigarette
smoking is most likely a contributory
factor and not primarily an Geological
one in the production of cardio-vascular
disease, the present state of medical
knowledge points up the need for inten-
Sive investigation of the relation. PLY.
sicians should pay more attention medi-
cally and pharmacologically to nico-
tine-containing agent that is used by
the public to an equal, If not greater.
extent than any other drug"
Still broad field is left for doubt and
many physicians continue to smoke q
pack or two day in the face of the
evidence coming from the medical
laboratories. For all the experiments
tend to show that effects are quite
different for different Northumberland
everybody Is an exception until 1t is
proved otherwise.