Nicotine limits cold adaptation
By Janet Raloff
Cigarette smokers commonly find that they have a hard time keeping their hands and feet warm in frigid environments. Researchers at Yale University now find that nicotine, usually considered the culprit, may play only a partial role.
Kichang Lee and Gary W. Mack recruited 7 smokers and 10 nonsmokers for two rounds of a painful test: submersion of a hand in 5°C water for 40 minutes. Sensors monitored how the skin’s blood vessels responded. Although smokers had to refrain from lighting up for at least 16 hours prior to a test, each wore a nicotine patch during one of the tests. Nonsmokers underwent both of their tests nicotinefree.