Vaping with e-cigarettes linked to multiple cardiovascular risks
Electronic cigarettes are associated with cardiovascular side effects, according to a new study published in the Journal or the American Heart Association.[1] However, the impact is different than what happens when people smoke.
E-cigarette vaping has gained popularity in recent years among current smokers and teenagers. Smokers often use it as an aid to try and quit smoking tobacco. Part of these trends are based on the idea that vaping is safer than smoking, but growing evidence suggests this may not necessarily be the case.
The study found that nicotine‐containing electronic cigarettes adversely affect vascular function and left ventricle‐arterial coupling, whereas standard cigarettes traditionally have an adverse effect on left ventricle function. The new data show that vaping can interfere with the normal coupling between blood flow and pressure as blood flows from the heart to the arteries.
“Our results support the growing call for public health policies aimed at reducing exposure to inhaled nicotine and to new synthetic nicotine products not yet on the market,” study co-author Michael Kleinman, PhD, said in a statement. Kleinman is an adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health at UC Irvine, and co-director of the Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory (APHEL) that helped carry out the study. “APHEL hopes to further unravel the connection between inhaled environmental toxins and heart disease, contributing to safer, healthier communities.”
Environmental health researchers at UC Irvine collaborated with peers at the University of Southern California and the Huntington Medical Research Institutes in Pasadena to conduct this study. They looked at 117 healthy adult male and female rats that were exposed to purified air (control), electronic cigarette vapor without nicotine, electronic cigarette vapor with nicotine, and traditional nicotine‐rich cigarette smoke, after which their hemodynamics were comprehensively evaluated using a new, noninvasive method.
The team was able to show that vaping e-cigarettes with nicotine significantly disrupted normal heart function. The research team said the results provide compelling evidence that using e-cigarettes, and possibly other nicotine inhalation delivery systems, could pose a risk to heart health.
Past research has shown that exposure to inhaled ambient particles, especially PM2.5 (tiny particles in the air that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter) and those produced from vaping have been linked to increased risks of heart attacks, arrhythmias and hypertension. However, additional understanding of the specific mechanisms by which pollutants affect cardiovascular function remains incomplete, which was the reason for this study.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com