COLUMBUS – A team of Ohio State scientists has done a review of research into vaping and say they have found growing evidence that it can harm the heart and blood vessels.
Health experts believe vaping might be harmful but just how e-cigarette use and vaping impact users’ health has been something of a “known unknown.”
“We know these problems are seen in these studies looking at the short-term effects of vaping, but that research is inconsistent and the impact of chronic e-cigarette use is an outright mystery,” said Loren Wold, director of biomedical research at The Ohio State University College of Nursing and a professor in the College of Medicine.
Wold is the senior author of the study, focused solely on cardiovascular health and published this week in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
In addition to nicotine, e-cigarettes contain particulate matter, metals and flavorings, all of which could contribute to cardiovascular problems, Wold said.
Fine particles found in air pollution enter the bloodstream and directly affect the heart, and the current data, while far from conclusive, shows that the same may be true for e-cigarettes, Wold said.
Some studies in animals and humans have documented immediate negative effects including increases in blood pressure, heart rate, stiffness in the arteries, inflammation and other conditions linked to heart disease over time.
Vaping has increased from around 7 million users in 2011 to 41 million in 2018 with a projected increase to more than 55 million by 2021, according to the World Health Organization.