SMOKERS who would like to quit their habit are being sought for a clinical trial.

Doctors and scientists funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) are looking for 100 healthy volunteers to take part in The VAPOUR Pilot Study. The study aims to investigate the short-term effects of electronic cigarettes in comparison to nicotine replacement patches on the blood vessels and lungs.

Participants enrolled into the study will have an equal chance of being randomly assigned to receive either electronic cigarettes or nicotine replacement patches for 12 weeks. In addition they will all receive NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Smokefree weekly community smoking cessation support sessions in their local area.

Participants will be invited to attend two study visits in the Clinical Research Facility at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Study tests include blood and urine samples, blood pressure and lung function assessment and non-invasive blood vessel ultrasound. These will be performed before and after 12-weeks of using the assigned nicotine replacement products.

James Cant, Director at BHF Scotland, said: “We all know that smoking tobacco raises our risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease. E-cigs have been hailed by some as a great way to help smokers quit but little is actually known about their impact on our heart and circulatory system, which is why we’re funding this research to help us better understand the effects on our health.”

The Vapour pilot study is being run by Daniele Kerr who is a vascular surgeon and a BHF-funded Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow. She explained: “Every day myself and many other healthcare professionals ask patients to stop smoking. The evidence shows that the public currently choose to use electronic cigarettes as their preferred method to help them stop smoking, despite not being currently available on the NHS. This study has been designed to help healthcare professionals answer the question ‘what are the health effects of electronic cigarettes and should I use one to stop smoking?’”

If you’re a healthy smoker who’s looking to quit and would like to take part in the VAPOUR study, please contact Daniele Kerr on 0141 330 2627 or 07570 047819 or email Cams-INS-Vapour@glasgow.ac.uk

People can find out more about how the BHF uses donations to fund research at bhf.org.uk/research