Shisha and blood clots

According to a study published in theAmerican Heart Association, hookah smoke causes blood clots, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. However, these tobacco products still benefit today from a watered-down image in view of the real risks they represent for health, while it is estimated that a classic hookah session is equivalent, in terms of smoke, to inhaling the equivalent of two packets of cigarettes, to as much carbon monoxide as that of twenty cigarettes or to the same quantity of tar as that of 26 cigarettes.

The study involved exposing mice to hookah smoke. Observations showed that the blood of exposed rodents was more likely to coagulate and form blood clots (thrombosis) than that of control mice. The risk is significant, since a clot that forms in an artery or vein can cause a heart attack, stroke, phlebitis or pulmonary embolism.

This study confirms that it is now essential to raise awareness among the population, particularly young people, about the health dangers to which they are exposed by consuming these tobacco products.