Vaping may cause a “substantial” increase in the risk of heart failure, research has suggested, with scientists saying that more studies are linking the habit to harmful effects and finding “it is not as safe as previously thought”.
The latest findings indicate that people who have vaped at any point were 19% more likely to develop heart failure compared to those who have never used e-cigarettes, reports The Telegraph.
Dr Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, the study’s lead author from MedStar Health in Baltimore, US, said: “The difference we saw in our research was substantial. It’s worth considering the consequences to your health, especially with regard to heart health.”
More than 175 000 people in the US – vapers and non-vapers – were included in the study, and of these, 3 242 developed heart failure within 45 months.
The scientists found that people using e-cigarettes were at increased risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction – in which the heart muscle becomes stiff and does not properly fill with blood between contractions.
However, there was no link with reduced ejection fraction, in which the heart muscle becomes weak and the left ventricle does not squeeze as hard as it should during contractions.
They said the findings point to a need for additional investigations of the potential impacts of vaping on heart health.
It is estimated more 1m people in the UK have heart failure, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Last month, the UK Government introduced legislation aimed at curbing youth smoking, with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill that plans to restrict vape flavours and packaging that is intentionally marketed at children.
Separately, it has committed to ban disposable vapes from April 2025 under environmental laws.
• The US study was slated to be presented this week at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in Atlanta.
The Independent article – Doctors reveal what vaping can do to your heart (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Vaping risks heart damage, not safe substitute for cigarettes — scientists
Call for ‘watershed’ Surgeon-General’s report on vaping
Forty UK children hospitalised for vaping disorders
Researchers expose the ‘pitiful quality’ of highly cited vaping studies