Vaping linked with heart problems

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/esoc-vlw072820.php

News Release 29-Jul-2020
European Society of Cardiology


Sophia Antipolis, 30 July 2020: In adolescents the use of e-cigarettes doubles the risk of starting to smoke traditional cigarettes, states a position paper published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

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Research has shown that e-cigarettes raise blood pressure and heart rate, change the artery walls so that they become stiffer and less elastic, and inhibit the function of blood vessels by damaging their lining. Each of these four effects are risk factors for blood clots and fatty build-up inside artery walls which can cause heart attacks. A study last year found a link between e-cigarettes and heart attacks.

On top of the heart effects, evidence is accumulating that vaping has negative effects on the lungs and is detrimental to the developing foetus during pregnancy. Preliminary research indicates that e-cigarettes could cause cancer.

It's not clear whether e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, since studies have produced conflicting results. "When these studies are pooled together it does not show that e-cigarettes are more effective than conventional, well-tested stop smoking methods," said Professor Løchen. "In addition, people who use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation often end up being double consumers of both traditional tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes."

"E-cigarettes should only be used for smoking cessation if nothing else has worked and the individual is carefully monitored for adverse effects," she added.

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