Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Friday, December 31, 2010 Therry asks

Q: Hy, Do there is any body who can explain to me how the nicotin make the supression of the LDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol")?

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Answers (1)
1/ 1/11 1:23pm

Hi Therry,

 

I don't completely understand your question. Are you wanting to know if there is a connection between nicotine and HDL (good) cholesterol suppression?

 

All the best,

Lisa Nelson RD

How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps

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1/ 4/11 12:59pm

Hy,

thank you for your help, that's exactly my question but I also wanna know how the nicotine , where the nicotine is influencing to supress this HDL...

Sorry for my bad grammar english,

Therry

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1/ 4/11 1:03pm

It's me again, therry,

maybe you didn't understand my new question, i want to know which operation is acting for this supression...?

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1/ 4/11 3:40pm

Hmmm, okay I understand your question, but I'm not able to provide an answer. Yes, nicotine lowers HDL cholesterol levels; however, I'm not sure where in the in the process this actually comes into play. I did a little quick research and didn't find an answer for you. It appears that it is still unknown whether the connection is direct or indirect.

 

All the best,

Lisa Nelson RD

How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps

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1/ 5/11 4:48am

ok thank you!

 

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1/ 5/11 12:02pm

Hi,

sorry to ask you new things but i have a problem... I went under a web site, "ScienceDirect" which talk about nicotine. In those articles, they said that nicotine can produce endothelial cell injury. I think that because of those injurys, there is a phenomen which create Atherosclerosis... do this appears you right? 

they also say that:

"Most studies in humans given nicotine preparations suggest that nicotine delivered in these forms does not have an adverse effect on lipid profiles. In one study ([95]), nicotine chewing gum (2 mg eight times a day) was given to healthy nonsmokers for 2 weeks. No changes in plasma concentrations of triglycerides; total, HDL or LDL cholesterol; or apolipoprotein A1 or B were noted. In another study ([96]), 20 nonsmokers with ulcerative colitis received transdermal nicotine (15 mg/day) for 12 weeks. No changes in plasma lipids were found. Also, there were no changes in white cell count or platelet activation (assessed by platelet volume and expression of P-selectin), and no evidence of endothelial damage (assessed by plasma Von Willebrand factor antigen levels) was detected. Data from smokers who stop smoking and use transdermal nicotine indicate that lipids change toward normal while taking nicotine ([97. for the Transdermal Nicotine Study Group, SS Allen, D Hatsukami and J Gorsline, Cholesterol changes in smoking cessation using the transdermal nicotine system. Prev Med 23 (1994), pp. 190-196. Abstract | PDF (617 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus"

 

....so there is no relation with the supression of HDL and nicotine? 

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1/ 5/11 4:24pm

Hi Therry,

 

The study referenced above found no correlation between nicotine and HDL; however, I wouldn't rule out a connection based on this one study. Keep your eyes/ears open for more studies that are ruling out a connection. Pay attention to whether the studies are looking at nicotine by itself or in another form (ie cigarettes) which would throw additional variables into the mix.

 

All the best,

Lisa Nelson RD

Heart Healthy Tips

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1/13/11 8:04am

Yes, you were right, i found something interisting:

 

Effects of nicotine.

Nicotine changes how your brain and your body function. The net results are somewhat of a paradox: Nicotine can both invigorate and relax a smoker, depending on how much and how often they smoke. This biphasic effect is not uncommon. Although the actions of nicotine and ethanol in the body are quite different, you also see dose-dependent effects when you drink alcoholic beverages. Your first drink may loosen your inhibitions and fire you up, but after several drinks, you're usually pretty sedate.
Nicotine initially causes a rapid release of adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormone. If you've ever jumped in fright at a scary movie or rushed around the office trying to finish a project by your deadline, you may be familiar with adrenaline's effects:
Rapid heartbeat
Increased blood pressure
Rapid, shallow breathing
Adrenaline also tells your body to dump some of its glucose stores into your blood. This makes sense if you remind yourself that the "fight-or-flight" response is meant to help you either defend yourself from a hungry predator or hightail it out of a dangerous situation -- running or brawling both require plenty of energy to fuel your muscles. (For more information, see How Exercise Works.)
Nicotine itself may also block the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin tells your cells to take up excess glucose from your blood. This means that nicotine makes people somewhat hyperglycemic, having more sugar than usual in their blood. Some people think that nicotine also curbs their appetite so that they eat less. This hyperglycemia could be one explanation why: Their bodies and brain may see the excess sugar and down-regulate the hormones and other signals that are perceived as hunger.
Nicotine may also increase your basal metabolic rate slightly. This means that you burn more calories than you usually would when you are just sitting around. (For more information on metabolism, see How Calories Work.) However, losing weight by smoking doesn't give you any of the health benefits that you'd get if you were losing weight by exercising -- it actually does the opposite! Over the long haul, nicotine can increase the level of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, that damages your arteries. This makes it more likely that you could have a heart attack or a stroke.

Therry

 

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By Therry— Last Modified: 01/13/11, First Published: 12/31/10