Online Pro-Tobacco Marketing Exposure Is Associated With Dual Tobacco Product Use Among Underage US Students.

PURPOSE: To understand the effect of pro-tobacco marketing on electronic cigarette and combustible cigarette dual use among US middle and high school students under 18 years of age. DESIGN: Data were derived from the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey, an annual self-administered school-based cross-sectional survey. SETTING: The survey was administered in public and private middle and high schools across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: The probability sample size was 15 238 middle and high school students with complete responses who were under 18 years of age during the study period. MEASURES: The study measured self-reported exposure to online combustible and electronic cigarette advertisements, dual use of combustible and electronic cigarettes during the past 30 days, exposure to the Real Cost antitobacco campaign advertisements, and other sociodemographic factors (eg, race/ethnicity, gender, and grade). ANALYSIS: Logistic regressions were used to measure pro-tobacco marketing exposure and dual use as a function of pro-tobacco marketing exposure. RESULTS: Descriptive analyses show that 59.0% of respondents were exposed to pro-tobacco online marketing, and 2.9% were dual users. Dual users (odds ratio [OR] = 1.73) and high school students (OR = 1.43) were more likely to report exposure to online pro-tobacco marketing. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that a gap in electronic cigarette pro-tobacco marketing regulatory oversight may exist. Further policy action may be warranted to protect the public health of minors and other vulnerable populations who are most susceptible to pro-tobacco marketing.

First in human evaluation of the vascular biocompatibility and biomechanical performance of a novel ultra high molecular weight amorphous PLLA bioresorbable scaffold in the absence of anti-proliferative drugs: Two-year imaging results in humans.

OBJECTIVES: In this first-in-human study, we prospectively studied the vascular compatibility and mechanical performance of a novel bare ultra-high molecular weight amorphous PLLA bioresorbable scaffold (BRS, FORTITUDE®, Amaranth Medical, Mountain View, California) up to two years after implantation using multimodality imaging techniques. BACKGROUND: The vascular biocompatibility of polymers used in BRS has not been fully characterized in the absence of anti-proliferative drugs. METHODS: A total of 10 patients undergoing single scaffold implantation were included in the final analysis and were followed up using optical coherence tomography (OCT) at 2-years. All devices were implanted under angiographic and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance. Angiographic and IVUS follow up was performed at 6 months. Additionally, angiography and OCT imaging were performed at 2-years. RESULTS: At 6 months, mean intra-scaffold angiographic MLD slightly decreased from baseline procedural values. However, at 2 years, mean angiographic MLD increased (post procedure; 2.9 [2.7, 3.1] mm vs. 6 months; 2.1 [1.6, 2.5] vs. 2 years; 2.4 [2.1, 2.6], P = .001). Also, angiographic percent diameter stenosis decreased and late lumen gain increased between 6 months and 2 years follow up. Mean neointimal hyperplasia volume assessed by IVUS at 6 months was 26% [15.2, 29.3]. At 2 years OCT follow up neointimal hyperplasia volume was 24.2% [19.4, 28.9]. No presence of neoatherosclerosis was identified in any of the analyzed cases. CONCLUSION: At 2 years, this novel PLLA-based BRS induced expansive vascular remodeling from 6 to 24 months, a biological phenomenon that appears to be independent of the presence of anti-proliferative drugs.