Recent clinical research has established that this ratio is indicative of the activity of the CYP2A6 enzyme that metabolises nicotine. Nicotine is metabolized to COT and then to 3HC. People with high activity of this enzyme, clear nicotine faster and hence need more nicotine to maintain the addiction. To-date the 3HC/COT ratio could only be determined by specialized measurement techniques such as Liquid-Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Although accurate, these tests are expensive and take 2-5 days to deliver results. Smoking is the leading cause of cancer related deaths, and is attributable cause for almost 400,000 deaths per year in the US>The POCT for nicotine metabolites can help in increasing smoking cessation rates and directly contribute to reduced mortality/healthcare burden.
