Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Nicotine: Comparative Analysis of E-Cigarettes and Traditional Cigarettes Across Health Conditions

The research develops a Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model which predicts how nicotine behaves in users of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarette smokers throughout its ADME processes. The model uses health-specific physiological parameters to evaluate the effects of liver disease and obesity and cardiovascular disease and lung disease and neurological disorders on nicotine pharmacokinetics. MATLAB's ODE45 solver runs simulations to create nicotine concentration-time profiles together with steady-state concentrations (Css) and elimination half-life (t½) for all health scenarios. The analysis determines which factors most affect the variability of results between population groups. The research demonstrates that liver disease together with obesity creates major changes in nicotine clearance and storage patterns yet lung and cardiovascular diseases affect how nicotine distributes in the body. The comparison between e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes produces the most noticeable distinctions when studying patients who have respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. The PBPK framework enables customized risk evaluation for users of nicotine products who have different health conditions thus providing a useful assessment system for regulatory and clinical purposes.