People who use e-cigarettes experience “worrying changes” in blood pressure and heart rate right away, a new study suggests.
The researchers assessed the effects of e-cigarette use among regular users, people who smoke traditional cigarettes, and others who do not consume nicotine.
They measured heart rate and blood pressure in nearly 400 participants for up to 15 minutes before and after vaping or smoking.
Those who vaped or smoked were found to have larger increases in heart rate and blood pressure, while those who reported not using nicotine saw no changes.
People who used nicotine regularly also had worse performance on heart rate variability and constriction of the brachial artery, the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the arms and hands.
This indicates that the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated, and when a person is stressed or at risk, the sympathetic nervous system becomes more active, which increases heart rate and blood pressure and increases the heart’s need for oxygen.
“These findings suggest that risk factors for cardiovascular disease are more severe after vaping or smoking,” said lead study author Matthew C Tattersall.
Worse performance on exercise tests
Participants recruited by the University of Wisconsin researchers also underwent an exercise stress test after 90 minutes.
Those who smoked or vaped fared significantly worse on all measures, including how quickly heart rate recovered after exercise and how hard the heart was working at peak levels.
This was the case even after adjusting for age, gender and race.
Lead author Christina M Hughey said: “The exercise performance of those who vaped was not significantly different from those who used combustible cigarettes, although they had vaped for significantly fewer years than smokers. , and much younger.”
“These findings are worrying”
The analyses, which will be presented this week at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, challenge the assumption that e-cigarettes are safer than smoking, the researchers said.
E-cigarettes have become a popular smoking cessation aid in the UK, Contributed to a record number of active vapers.
The NHS said that while they were not completely risk-free, They carry ‘a fraction of the risk of cigarettes’ If they don’t produce tar or carbon monoxide.
However, it is not recommended for non-smokers.
James H Stein, Principal Investigator of the Heart and Lung E-Cigarette Smoking Study (CLUES), said: “Our CLUES findings raise concerns about the potential harms of long-term use of ENDS, particularly cardiovascular disease.
“We did not study the long-term effects of e-cigarettes, the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid or the efficacy or safety of e-cigarettes in this setting. However, these findings are concerning as they suggest that e-cigarettes may increase cardiovascular risk.”