People who use vapes have a higher risk of heart failure compared to those who have never used e-cigarettes.
According toa new study published by the American College of Cardiology, researchers analyzed data from a larger study that examined the link between e-cigarette use and new cases of heart failure, and found that among 175,667 participants, those who had used e-cigarettes were 19% more likely to develop heart failure.
“More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to harmful effects and finding that it might not be as safe as previously thought,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Yakubu Bene-Alhasan. “The difference we saw was substantial. It’s worth considering the consequences to your health, especially with regard to heart health.”
When researchers looked at different types of heart failure, the study notes that they found that using e-cigarettes specifically increased the risk of one type of heart failure called HFpEF, or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, in which the heart muscle gets stiff and doesn't fill with blood properly between contractions. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the U.S., 4.5% of adults over the age of 18 use e-cigarettes. Meanwhile,25.2% of middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes reported using them daily, with a striking 89.4% reporting the use of flavored e-cigarettes.
The CDC also notes that most of these cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and also harms brain development in younger people.
Schools using surveillance tech to catch and punish students vaping
Some students being caught face harsh punishments, such as being sent to an alternative school, losing leadership roles and possible criminal charges.
