Smoking has been discouraged in many locales across the globe. In fact, many regions have implemented a smoking ban in public places. This was prompted by health risks that have stemmed out of smoking. However, the addiction, or in some cases, the dependency on nicotine has resulted in the uncontrollable urge to smoke. With this, manufacturers have started coming up with different versions of electronic cigarettes which increased in popularity over the past few years. However, these electronic cigarettes have turned out to be just as dangerous as tobacco cigarettes.
In London, a study has revealed that young people who have used electronic cigarettes, even those without nicotine, have shown signs of impaired blood vessel function.
Dr. Alexandra Caporale, from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia and the first author of the study, stated that using e-cigarette is not equivalent to inhaling water vapor. It can exert acute and detrimental effects on blood vessels even if the liquid is not laced with nicotine.
Dr. Caporale and her colleagues have noted that even though there is evidence that vaping could sometimes be a safer alternative to smoking, it is still not risk-free. The team has found out from previous research that nicotine-free vaping could still increase signs of inflammation and oxidative stress, a form of tissue damage. The doctor pointed out that it will take one to three hours before the inflammation would return to normal.
For their study, the doctors used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to take the measurements of the blood vessel function of 31 healthy adults. The participants have never smoked before. After the measurements were taken, the participants each took 16 puffs, lasting for three seconds each, from an e-cigarette which contain propylene glycol, glycerol, and some flavoring. The vaping liquid did not contain any nicotine. After this, measurements were again taken.
Dr. Caporale noted that after vaping, the participants have exhibited several changes that indicate that their vascular reactivity was impaired. The doctor explained that healthy blood vessels tend to widen when necessary. Dr. Caporale pointed out that the changes were temporary. However, if these changes were to be repeated over a long period, it could cause the blood vessel to deteriorate. Still, the researchers noted that they are not suggesting that atherosclerosis is the end game for vaping.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has extended funding in support of the current research of Dr. Caporale's team. The researchers are currently looking at inflammation, oxidative stress and circulatory changes for non-smokers, e-cigarette users, and cigarette smokers.
