A recent study has found that the chemicals in e-cigarette vapors induce short-term signs of potential cardiovascular risks, adding another aspect to the ongoing debate on vaping.
The signs of cardiovascular harm were similar but on a lesser scale than those produced by smoking traditional smoking, the study adds. However, they did not find evidence of actual damage.
For the study, researchers compared the effects of smoking and vaping with the same amount of nicotine on the blood vessels of participants. There were 40 healthy male and female subjects, 20 of which were smokers and 20 non-smokers.
The researchers studied markers that indicated cardiovascular harm, such as oxidative stress, vitamin E and the presence of nitric oxide. They also conducted flow-mediated dilation or FMD, which is responsible for the ability of blood vessels to expand and allow more blood to pass through.
Led by Roberto Carnevale of Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, the team said,
Our study demonstrates that both cigarettes (and e-cigarettes) have unfavorable effects on markers of oxidative stress and FMD after single use, although e-cigarettes appeared to have a lesser impact.
Experts in favor of vaping say that the study doesn’t actually show any danger in e-cigarette smoking, especially compared to tobacco. And since vaping use has less of an impact, it can be argued that the study might actually support e-cigarettes over traditional cigarettes as a method of decreasing health risks. E-cigarettes don’t need to be completely harmless, just a better option for smokers.
Those against e-cigarette use, however, say that the study proves there are new dangers from vaping. Symptoms of possible cardiovascular damage point to a factor vaping advocates had not considered. Since e-cigarettes have risen in popularity only over recent years, they may be many surprises in store as more research is conducted. For example, some of the flavorings used in e-cigarettes have not been studied thoroughly as to their effects when inhaled.
Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy of the University of California said that the study appears to have been “carefully conducted” by the scientists involved, stating to Valley News that “e-cigarettes basically had the same detrimental negative impact on vascular and endothelial health as that of combustion cigarettes.”
She added that she is very concerned about e-cigarette enthusiasts who claim that vaping is harmless that vapor produced by e-cigarettes is harmless without verifying such statements with research like this one, and warned that people should exercise caution in endorsing products that have not provided concrete evidence about its effect on consumers, instead of blindly believing and supporting claims from proponents.
On the other hand, Clive Bates, a public health commentator in the UK, said the study might have been better off comparing the markers with those found in coffee. In a commentary on the study, Bates said that similar signs of cardiovascular disease potential had been linked to coffee consumption in a previous 2005 study.
“If the effects are similar to those experienced by coffee drinkers, that might have provided valuable reassurance for smokers making an informed choice about quitting smoking by switching to e-cigarettes,” Bates said.
He added that it is worth exploring is the effects of vaping on blood vessels are caused by nicotine, but that this would be good for e-cigarettes as nicotine has not been found to be a direct cause of the diseases caused by smoking, including cardiovascular diseases. He also said that exaggerating the risks of e-cigarette would be “logically and ethically equivalent to understating the risks of tobacco smoking.”
The researchers admit that further studies are needed, perhaps on a larger scale, to look into the long-term effects of e-cigarette smoking.
The study was published in the journal Chest.
