April 17, 2024

Recent research uncovers the mechanism by which vaping leads to heart failure and strokes

New findings suggest that vaping may not be as harmless as once believed, particularly concerning heart health.
Studies have cautioned that individuals who use e-cigarettes are at a heightened risk of developing conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
As of 2021, 4.5% of adults in the US were reported to use e-cigarettes, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
E-cigarette use is notably prevalent among young people, with approximately one in seven high school students reportedly using these devices, as per the US Food and Drug Administration.
Despite being perceived as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco, previous research has linked e-cigarette usage to increased risks of lung disease, asthma, vascular damage, and heart disease, particularly among those with pre-existing health issues.
A recent study led by MedStar Health in Baltimore revealed that e-cigarette users may face a 19% higher likelihood of developing heart failure compared to non-users.
"Growing evidence is tying e-cigarettes to adverse effects, challenging the notion of their safety," noted Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, a resident physician at MedStar Health and the study's lead author. "The observed difference in risk is significant, emphasizing the importance of considering its health consequences, particularly in relation to heart health."
Between 2011 and 2015, e-cigarette use in the US surged by 900%. Researchers at the University of Kansas delved into the potential health risks associated with vaping, particularly regarding the risk of stroke.
Analyzing 2016 data from the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System survey conducted annually by the CDC, they found that out of over 66,795 regular e-cigarette users surveyed, 343,856 had never used the devices. Factors such as age, sex, smoking status, diabetes, physical activity, and BMI were considered.
On average, e-cigarette users were younger, and they exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing stroke, angina, and coronary heart disease compared to non-users.
Dr. Paul Ndunda, assistant professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita and the study's author, emphasized that this research is the first to link e-cigarette use with stroke and one of the largest to associate it with heart disease.
"This study underscores the need for well-designed, large, long-term population studies to determine the potential link between e-cigarettes and stroke and cardiovascular disease," he remarked.
Commenting on the broader implications of vaping, Dr. Aaron Scott from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Inflammation and Ageing highlighted that while nicotine's effects on atherosclerosis are well-studied, there remains much unknown about e-cigarettes' overall health impacts.
Professor David Thickett, also from the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, stressed the importance of complementing observational studies like this with longitudinal cohort studies for comprehensive understanding.