American Heart Association Awards Ohio University Professor with a Special Grant

Kevin Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, has been awarded an American Heart Association Institutional Research Enhancement Award to study how nicotine use may lead to heart damage.

Nicotine use among young adults in the United States has risen in recent years, largely due to e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches. About 12–15 percent of young adults report using these products regularly. Studies in humans have linked nicotine use to higher rates of heart attacks and heart disease. However, scientists are still working to fully understand how nicotine harms the heart.

"Many people mistakenly believe nicotine only affects the lungs, but it has powerful effects throughout the body," Lee said. "The goal of this newly funded study is to understand exactly how nicotine changes fat cells in ways that can weaken the heart. If we know the mechanism, we can begin to look for new treatments."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Ohio University Press.