Nicotine limits cold adaptation

Cigarette smokers commonly find that they have a hard time keeping their hands and feet warm in frigid environments. Researchers at Yale University now find that nicotine, usually considered the culprit, may play only a partial role.

Kichang Lee and Gary W. Mack recruited 7 smokers and 10 nonsmokers for two rounds of a painful test: submersion of a hand in 5°C water for 40 minutes.