Dataset Information

Genetic Vulnerability to Menthol Cigarette Preference in Women.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Smokers may prefer menthol cigarettes to mask the bitter taste of nicotine. Variation in the taste receptor gene, TAS2R38, may contribute to preference for menthol cigarettes. AIMS:To determine whether two common haplotypes of TAS2R38 (proline-alanine-valine [PAV] and alanine-valine-isoleucine [AVI]), which have been associated, respectively, with bitter taste or a lack of bitter taste produced by propylthiouracil, are associated with preference for menthol cigarettes. METHODS:Data on smoking and blood for DNA extraction and genotyping were obtained from 323 pregnant non-Hispanic or Hispanic Caucasian smokers. We genotyped three TAS2R38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939) and constructed haplotypes. We examined associations between menthol preference and the frequency and distribution of the AVI and PAV haplotypes among study participants. RESULTS:Participants smoked an average of 16 cigarettes per day before pregnancy. The PAV and AVI haplotype frequencies were 48% and 45%, respectively. Non-Hispanic women were less likely than Hispanic women to smoke menthol cigarettes. As hypothesized, the frequency of the PAV haplotype was greater in menthol than non-menthol smokers in both non-Hispanics (54% vs. 30%; ?(2) = 13.04, P < .001) and Hispanics (53% vs. 25%; ?(2) = 5.77, P = .016). This effect persisted after controlling for potential confounders in multivariate logistic regression. Menthol smokers had a greater number of PAV haplotypes/individual than non-menthol smokers [non-Hispanics odds ratio (OR) = 3.02 (1.56-5.85); P = .001; Hispanics OR = 3.60 (1.23-10.56); P = .020]. CONCLUSIONS:These preliminary data support the hypothesis that a genetic propensity to experience heightened bitter taste perception increases the preference for menthol cigarettes.

SUBMITTER: Oncken C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5013875 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genetic Vulnerability to Menthol Cigarette Preference in Women.

Oncken Cheryl C Feinn Richard R Covault Jonathan J Duffy Valerie V Dornelas Ellen E Kranzler Henry R HR Sankey Heather Z HZ

Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 20150401 12

<h4>Background</h4>Smokers may prefer menthol cigarettes to mask the bitter taste of nicotine. Variation in the taste receptor gene, TAS2R38, may contribute to preference for menthol cigarettes.<h4>Aims</h4>To determine whether two common haplotypes of TAS2R38 (proline-alanine-valine [PAV] and alanine-valine-isoleucine [AVI]), which have been associated, respectively, with bitter taste or a lack of bitter taste produced by propylthiouracil, are associated with preference for menthol cigarettes.< ...[more]

PMID: 25832883

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Project description:IntroductionTo study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and whether the association differed between African American (AA) and non-AA smokers.MethodsWe analyzed the three most recent 2005, 2010, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplements. After incorporating propensity score weights adjusting for observed differences between menthol and non-menthol users, we estimated Zero-Inflated Poisson models on hospital nights, emergency department visits, doctor visits, and home visits as a function of menthol use status and other covariates separately for current cigarette smokers and recent quitters (former smokers quitting cigarette smoking ≤ 4 years).ResultsAlthough current menthol smokers smoked fewer cigarettes per day than current non-menthol smokers, they did not differ from current non-menthol smokers in health care utilization. Among recent quitters, those who used to smoke menthol cigarettes had higher odds of having hospital nights than those who used to smoke non-menthol cigarettes. However, we did not find any significant association between menthol use and other health care utilization-emergency department visits, doctor visits, and home visits-among recent quitters. Moreover, compared with non-AA recent quitters, AA recent quitters had higher odds of having home visits, but fewer home visits, if they used to smoke menthol cigarettes.ConclusionMenthol use was associated with greater hospitalization among recent quitters, and the association between home visits and menthol use differed between AA and non-AA recent quitters.ImplicationsThis is the first study that used econometric models to study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and examine whether the association differed between AA and non-AA smokers. Our study found health care utilization did not differ by menthol use status for current smokers, although current menthol smokers smoked fewer cigarettes per day than current non-menthol smokers. However, we found menthol use was associated with higher odds of having hospital nights for recent quitters. We also found AA recent quitters had a different association between home visits and menthol use compared with non-AA recent quitters.

Project description:Despite the longstanding use and popularity of menthol as a flavorant in tobacco products, its sensory interactions with inhaled nicotine have never been measured independently of the other irritants in tobacco smoke. We therefore measured the perception of menthol in an E-cigarette with the primary goal of assessing its analgesic effect on the sensory irritation produced by inhaled nicotine.Adult cigarette smokers sampled aerosolized E-liquids containing five different concentrations of nicotine with 0%, 0.5%, or 3.5% l-menthol, as well as two commercial menthol flavors with and without nicotine. For each of the E-liquids participants used a labeled magnitude scale to rate the Overall Sensation intensity, Coolness/Cold, and Irritation/Harshness they experienced, and a Labeled Hedonic Scale to indicate how much they liked/disliked the overall flavor.The main findings were that (1) perceived Irritation/Harshness was unaffected by a low (0.5%) menthol concentration, whereas a high menthol concentration (3.5%) led to higher perceived Irritation/Harshness at low nicotine concentrations but to lower Irritation/Harshness at the highest nicotine concentration (24mg/ml); (2) a commercial Menthol-Mint flavor produced similar results; (3) nicotine tended to enhance rather than suppress sensations of Coolness/Cold; and (4) menthol tended to slightly increase liking independently of nicotine concentration.In addition to adding a sensation of coolness, menthol can reduce perceived airway irritation and harshness produced by inhalation when nicotine concentration is high, and contributes to the sensory impact of E-liquids when nicotine concentration is low.The evidence presented here indicates that menthol can potentially improve the appeal of E-cigarettes not only via its coolness and minty flavor, but also by reducing the harshness from high concentrations of nicotine. As the first direct demonstration of an analgesic effect of menthol on inhaled nicotine in humans, these data also have implications for the role of menthol flavors in other inhaled tobacco products.

Project description:ImportanceMenthol cigarettes were prohibited in England in May 2020 and nationally in Canada in October 2017 but remain permitted in the US. Evidence on the outcomes of menthol cigarette bans among youth outside of Canada, and the characteristics of youth smokers, is lacking.ObjectivesTo evaluate the outcomes of menthol cigarette bans on youth menthol cigarette smoking and to characterize youth menthol cigarette smokers in terms of demographics and cigarette consumption and dependence.Design, setting, and participantsThis survey study uses data from online repeat cross-sectional International Tobacco Control Youth Tobacco and Vaping Surveys conducted in 2018, 2019, February 2020, and August 2020. Participants included past 30-day smokers aged 16 to 19 years. Data analysis was performed from March 2021 to January 2022.Main outcomes and measuresUsually smoke a brand of cigarettes that was menthol, including capsule.ExposuresMenthol cigarette ban, comparing 3 countries over time: Canada, where a ban already existed, England, where a ban was implemented during the study, and the US, where no national ban was present. Age, sex, race, and consumption and dependence were also examined by menthol smoking in each country, and in England before vs after the ban.ResultsThe analytical sample comprised 7067 participants aged 16 to 19 years, of whom 4129 were female and 5019 were White. In England, the weighted percentage of youth smokers who reported smoking a menthol or capsule cigarette brand was stable in the 3 survey waves before the menthol ban (2018 to February 2020, 9.4% vs 12.1%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.06; P = .15) but decreased to 3.0% after the ban (February 2020 vs August 2020, AOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.10; P < .001). The decrease between February and August 2020 in England was similar across all demographic groups but was greater among youth who perceived themselves as addicted to cigarettes (AOR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.41-0.97; P = .04). In the 2 comparison countries, menthol or capsule smoking was stable across all waves (2018 to August 2020: US, 33.6%-36.9%; Canada, 3.1%-2.3%) and was more prevalent in the US than in England (AOR, 5.58; 95% CI, 4.63-6.72; P < .001). Menthol or capsule smoking was also more prevalent among smokers in England who were female vs male (10.9% vs 7.2%; AOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P = .002); among smokers in the US who identified as Black vs White (60.6% vs 31.9%; AOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.23-1.44; P < .001) or who were frequent smokers (AOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), smoked more cigarettes per day (2-5 vs 1, AOR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.15; P = .006; >5 vs 1, AOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18; P = .007), or had urges to smoke every or most days (AOR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14; P = .006); and among smokers in Canada who perceived themselves as addicted to cigarettes (AOR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = .01).Conclusions and relevanceIn this survey study, the proportion of youth smokers who smoke menthol (including capsule) cigarettes decreased substantially after the menthol ban in England. This association was consistent across all demographic groups. Perceived addiction among menthol smokers was also lower where menthol cigarettes were banned.

Dataset Information

Genetic Vulnerability to Menthol Cigarette Preference in Women.

Publications

Genetic Vulnerability to Menthol Cigarette Preference in Women.

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