@article {Rupprechte43, author = {Laura E Rupprecht and Joseph S Koopmeiners and Sarah S Dermody and Jason A Oliver and Mustafa al{\textquoteright}Absi and Neal L Benowitz and Rachel Denlinger-Apte and David J Drobes and Dorothy Hatsukami and F Joseph McClernon and Lauren R Pacek and Tracy T Smith and Alan F Sved and Jennifer Tidey and Ryan Vandrey and Eric C Donny}, title = {Reducing nicotine exposure results in weight gain in smokers randomised to very low nicotine content cigarettes}, volume = {26}, number = {e1}, pages = {e43--e48}, year = {2017}, doi = {10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053301}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Background The Food and Drug Administration can reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes to very low levels. This potential regulatory action is hypothesised to improve public health by reducing smoking, but may have unintended consequences related to weight gain.Methods Weight gain was evaluated from a double-blind, parallel, randomised clinical trial of 839 participants assigned to smoke 1 of 6 investigational cigarettes with nicotine content ranging from 0.4 to 15.8 mg/g or their own usual brand for 6 weeks. Additional analyses evaluated weight gain in the lowest nicotine content cigarette groups (0.4 and 0.4 mg/g, high tar) to examine the effect of study product in compliant participants as assessed by urinary biomarkers. Differences in outcomes due to gender were also explored.Findings There were no significant differences in weight gain when comparing the reduced nicotine conditions with the 15.8 mg/g control group across all treatment groups and weeks. However, weight gain at week 6 was negatively correlated with nicotine exposure in the 2 lowest nicotine content cigarette conditions. Within the 2 lowest nicotine content cigarette conditions, male and female smokers biochemically verified to be compliant on study product gained significantly more weight than non-compliant smokers and control groups.Conclusions The effect of random assignment to investigational cigarettes with reduced nicotine on weight gain was likely obscured by non-compliance with study product. Men and women who were compliant in the lowest nicotine content cigarette conditions gained 1.2 kg over 6 weeks, indicating weight gain is a likely consequence of reduced exposure to nicotine.Trial registration number NCT01681875, Post-results.}, issn = {0964-4563}, URL = {https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/26/e1/e43}, eprint = {https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/26/e1/e43.full.pdf}, journal = {Tobacco Control} }