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Background: Smoking is known to be a primary cause of chronic harmful effects on the vascular system. It also induces some acute effects on the coronary circulation and on the ophthalmic artery. Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the effect of smoking a single cigarette on cutaneous blood flow in habitual smokers as well as in nonsmokers. Methods: A laser Doppler flowmeter was used to perform measurements of cutaneous microcirculation. Flowmetric data were recorded (i) before smoking, (ii) inhaling from an unlighted cigarette, (iii) during cigarette smoking, (iv) 2 and (v) 5 min after smoking. Results: We could show that smoking a single cigarette acts on the cutaneous microcirculation reducing blood flow in both groups of subjects (38.1% reduction in smokers and 28.1% reduction in nonsmokers; p Conclusion: Smoking a single cigarette decreases the cutaneous blood flow in habitual smoker as well as in nonsmoker subjects. Moreover, the slower recovery phase of smokers suggests that their microcirculation become inured to smoke.

Background: Our surroundings are full of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) of different frequency and power. The non-ionizing EMRs emitted by television, computer and cellular phone (CF) sets have been increasing over the past few years. Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the effects of non-ionizing EMRs (frequency 3 × 108 to 3 × 1011 Hz), emitted by CFs, on cutaneous blood flow in healthy volunteers. Methods: Thirty healthy volunteers (14 male and 16 female; age: 18–53 years) entered the study. Measurements of cutaneous blood flow were taken under standard conditions (temperature and humidity), using a laser Doppler He-Ne flowmeter that was applied to the ear skin by an optical fibre probe. Microflow values were recorded without CF contact with the skin (T₀), with the CF turned off but in contact with the ear skin (T1), with CF contact and turned on (T2), with CF contact, turned on and receiving (T3). The microflow values were also recorded backwards: with CF contact and set turned on (T4), with CF contact and turned off (T5), without CF contact (T6). Results: The mean value of basal microflow (T₀), expressed as perfusion units (PU), was 51.26 ± 11.93 PU. During the T1 phase, the microflow increase was 61.38%; in T2 it was 131.74%, in T3 157.67%, in T4 139.21% and in T5 122.90%; in T6, the microflow value was 57.58 ± 10 PU (similar to the basal microflow). Statistically significant cutaneous microflow values (p < 0.050) were observed comparing the T1 to T5 values with basal microflow (T₀). Furthermore, in comparison with T1 values (CF turned off in contact with the ear skin), the T2, T3 and T4 data were statistically significant (T2 vs. T1: t = 7.763 with p < 0.050; T3 vs. T1: t = 9.834 with p < 0.050; T4 vs. T1: t = 8.885 with p < 0.050).