Tag: Vaping

Research Suggests E-Cigarettes May be as Harmful to Cardiovascular Health as Regular Cigarettes

Research from West Virginia University School of Medicine suggests that if teenagers vape into adulthood, the cardiovascular effects may be as bad as if they’d smoked cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are gaining popularity among younger consumers with flavors like blue raspberry, birthday cake and root beer float. But almost all e-cigarettes contain a base solution that often includes nicotine. 

Using mice as subjects, WVU School of Medicine researchers exposed the subjects to an e-cigarette solution for the human equivalent of 25 years.

The researchers found that chronic exposure to e-cigarette vapor stiffened the aorta (the body’s main artery) 2.5 times more than the regular aging process did in a vape- or smoke-free environment. In comparison, cigarette smoke caused a 2.8-fold increase.

Aortic stiffness is an early warning sign of cardiac and vascular-related diseases.

The research was published earlier this year in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Marshall Health, Charleston Area Medical Center and WVU Medicine.

Study Finds E-Cigarette Devices May Expose Users to Lead and Other Heavy Metals

A new study from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has found that a significant number of e-cigarette devices generate aerosols with potentially unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese and/or nickel. Chronic inhalation of these metals has been linked to lung, liver, immune, cardiovascular and brain damage, as well as cancers.

E-cigarettes contain a nicotine-based liquid that is vaporized and then inhaled. They are a relatively new phenomenon and scientists are still learning about their long-term health effects. Despite the unknown, e-cigarettes are often considered “safer” than regular cigarettes by the general public. Their use has increased 900% among high school students from 2011 to 2015, according to a 2016 report from the Surgeon General and more than 9 million adults vape regularly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to regulate e-cigarettes but is still considering how to do so.

E-cigarette use is more common among youth and young adults than older adults. West Virginia has the second highest rate of regular smoking in the country, but it’s unclear how the state ranks in e-cigarette use.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Marshall Health, Charleston Area Medical Center and WVU Medicine.

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