Vaping Dangers: How Can E-Cigarettes Raise The Risk Of Heart Attack?

It is a well-known fact that smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. Over the past decade, people have been drawn to the idea of switching from regular cigarettes to electronic ones, because they strongly believe that vaping is not as health-threatening as traditional smoking.

What is an e-cigarette?

Aiming to replace the traditional cigarette, the e-cig is an electronic device powered by batteries that vaporizes a nicotine solution, which is then inhaled by the smoker. It’s based on the principle of heating nicotine instead of burning it.

The device is very similar to a pen and usually has rechargeable batteries, although there are single-use e-cigarettes out there. For a long time, they have been advertised as a healthier solution to regular cigarettes, but scientific evidence suggests that they may be just as harmful.

What studies say

During the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session, the results of a study focusing on the cardiovascular impact of e-cigarettes were published. The study was based on the data analysis of more than 96,000 people, as part of a National Health Interview Survey conducted in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during 2014, 2016, and 2017.

The survey consisted of questions related to the use of electronic cigarettes, and some very interesting discoveries were made:

• People who smoke electronic cigarettes are 30 percent more likely to have a stroke compared to those who don’t use such a device.
• Electronic cigarette users were 56 percent more likely to have a heart attack compared to non-users.
• Those who use electronic cigarettes were more prone to having emotional problems, feeling depressed or anxious.

The study does, however, have its limitations. It isn’t able to determine the exact causes that lead to the problems mentioned earlier and can only determine associations between vaping and stroke plus cardiovascular disease.

How vaping damages your heart

While it is true that traditional cigarettes are more dangerous, one can’t ignore the alarming numbers associated with vaping either.

It’s important to note that the chemicals that are found in electronic cigarettes are shady, with a lot still unknown about them, including the long-term effects that they can have on a person’s health.

The FDA analyzed samples coming from two e-cig brands and discovered traces of carcinogens, such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. Consequently, the FDA issued warnings about the potential threats of vaping.

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California, it seems that the vapor of electronic cigarettes has a certain degree of metals, far greater compared to the one found in traditional cigarette smoke. It turns out that vaping smoke contains chromium and nickel, both of them being highly toxic.

The same study also suggested that these metals might come from the device itself, specifically from the cartridges that contain the liquid. This implies that manufacturers should be more careful about how they make electronic cigarettes, in order to meet specific standards.

More risks of vaping

There are plenty of people that consider electronic cigarettes as a bridge towards quitting smoking forever. Truth is, people that want to quit smoking have to just quit. Reducing the number of cigarettes, smoking only when you go out, or switching to vaping aren’t solutions; they are just illusions that lead smokers to believe they are one step closer to quitting.

Next time you want to vape, consider the following:

• Electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, which is dangerous for fetal development, but also addictive.
• Teenagers that start using electronic cigarettes are more likely to end up smoking regular ones as well.
• Ingesting electronic cigarette liquid can be fatal.
• The flavors inside e-cigarette liquid are harmful to one’s health.
• People who switch from regular cigarettes to electronic devices are less likely to quit smoking compared to those who just stop smoking.

Conclusion

The topic of whether electronic cigarettes are better than conventional ones is still up for debate. However, one can’t ignore the concrete evidence suggesting that people who smoke e-cigarette are at a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to non-smokers.