Vaping may not be as risk-free as we formerly believed, particularly in terms of heart
health.
As of 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 4.5 percent
of adult Americans were e-cigarette users. According to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, one in seven high school students use e-cigarettes, making vaping
especially common among young people.
Although vaping appears to be a less harmful option than smoking tobacco, prior
research has linked the use of e-cigarettes to an increased risk of heart disease, lung
illness, asthma, and damaged blood vessels, especially in individuals with preexisting
medical issues. According to a recent major study conducted by MedStar Health in
Baltimore, those who use e-cigarettes may have a 19% higher risk of developing heart
failure than people who have never vaped.
"A growing body of research is associating e-cigarettes with detrimental consequences
and discovering that they may not be as safe as previously believed," stated lead author
Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, a resident physician at MedStar Health in Baltimore.
"We observed a significant change. It's important to think about the effects on your health,
particularly about your heart."
To look into the relationship between e-cigarette use and heart failure, Bene-Alhasan and
colleagues analyzed data from surveys and electronic health records. The results of their
study will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific
Session, which is being held from April 6–8. 3,242 of the 175,667 individuals in the
study—whose average age was 52—developed heart failure during the average 45-month
follow-up period.
Even after controlling for alcohol and tobacco product usage as well as other heart
disease risk factors, it was discovered that e-cigarette users had a 19% higher risk of
developing heart failure than those who had never vaped.
When heart failure is coupled with maintained ejection fraction—a condition in which
the heart muscle stiffens and fails to fill with blood between contractions adequately—this
link is very strong. Since this kind of heart failure has become more common in recent
years, public health must identify any relevant risk factors.
The study's conclusions, which link e-cigarette use to heart disease and circulatory
problems, are consistent with earlier research conducted on animals. Still, this study is
observational only, and further investigation is required to validate any molecular
pathways behind this link. Nevertheless, the study's enormous sample size and
comprehensive data set emphasize the importance of conducting more research in this
field.
"I think this research is long overdue, especially considering how much e-cigarettes have
gained traction," said Bene-Alhasan. "We don't want to wait too long to learn that it could
be bad in the end, as by then, a lot of damage might have already occurred. We will learn
much more about the possible health effects and enhance public awareness with
additional research."
Comments
Post a Comment