Cigarette smoke (CS) is causally linked to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Tobacco harm reduction, by substituting cigarettes with less harmful products, is a complementary approach to current strategies for smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke. The Tobacco Heating System (THS) is a novel tobacco product that heats tobacco instead of burning it, never allowing the temperature to exceed 350°C, thereby preventing the combustion process from taking place and producing substantially lower levels of toxicants compared with CS. Our assessment program aims to demonstrate that switching to THS has the potential to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases versus continued smoking. The results of the THS assessment program demonstrated that cardiovascular toxicants are reduced by >92% on average in THS aerosol relative to CS. The effects of THS aerosol on the adhesion of monocytic cells to human coronary endothelial cells in vitro are significantly reduced. Switching to THS halted the progression of CS-induced atherosclerotic changes in ApoE-/- mice in vivo. Endpoints linked to the development of smoking-related diseases were analyzed following a 6-month randomized, controlled clinical study with THS, which demonstrated a consistent improvement in different pathways leading to atherosclerosis. The evidence available to date indicates that switching to THS has the potential to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases, such as CVD.

Background and Aims: Cigarette Smoke (CS) is causally linked to the development of atherosclerosis. Tobacco harm reduction, by substituting cigarettes with less harmful products, is a complementary approach to the current strategies for smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke. The Tobacco Heating System (THS) is a novel tobacco product that heats tobacco instead of burning it, never allowing a higher temperature than 350°C, thereby preventing combustion and producing lower levels of toxicants.