The Troublesome Connection Between E-Cigarettes And Heart Disease

Are you a smoker? Have you been trying to quit smoking? If you have thought about kicking this habit, you are among the millions who want to quit smoking. Quitting smoking is perhaps the best thing that you can do for your health. Doctors and scientists have proven that smoking harms nearly every part of our body and its functioning. Electronic or E-cigarettes are often thought to be a less risky alternative to regular cigarettes. However, various extensive studies have shown that daily e-cigarette use can almost double the risk of a heart attack (1).

E-cigarettes and Heart

Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that emit vapor for users to inhale. They deliver a lesser number of carcinogens that traditional cigarettes produce. Usually, the solution is nicotine. People use e-cigarettes because they get the sensation of smoking tobacco without the smoke. However, they are still very harmful because they produce toxins and superfine particles that can damage blood vessels. This increases the chance of blood clotting, and both these things can lead to a heart attack.

Most people understand that vaping, which is smoking an e-cigarette, is bad for the lungs. After all, users are inhaling the vapor into their lungs. It would surprise and even shock you to know how much damage vaping can cause to your heart (1). Many studies conducted on the connection between vaping and heart diseases point towards an increase in heart diseases. People who use e-cigarettes face a higher risk of emotional distress, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks. Initially, e-cigarettes seemed a safer option compared with traditional cigarettes, but now it is clear that they are equally unsafe.

How Do E-Cigarettes Affect Heart

It is extremely bad for your heart. People who smoke e-cigarettes regularly are more likely to have heart attacks and suffer strokes than non-smokers. So, what happens to the heart while vaping? When a user inhales the vapors, it gets absorbed through skin, mouth, and lungs and enters the bloodstream. It stays there for hours and can cause a lot of damage.

Unstable Cholesterol: vaping causes the deposits of cholesterol in the arteries to become unstable and even create a rupture in severe cases. This can lead to the formation of clots, which is a significant cause of heart attacks or strokes.
Stiff Arteries: after prolonged use of e-cigarettes, the compound in the solution can cause stiffness in the arteries. This is also a significant factor indicating towards heart health.
Increase in Heart Rate & Blood Pressure: After 30 minutes of inhaling the vapor, there is a spike in the adrenaline. This will increase blood pressure and heart rate.
Blood Clots: the chemicals and compounds in the solution affect the normal functioning of blood negatively.

Are You At Risk While Vaping?

Though it is dangerous for all age groups, teens, and young people who are otherwise healthy are showing up in hospitals with serious health issues at an alarming rate. Young people who are healthy otherwise and have no heart issues can also develop heart issues. If young people continue vaping, heart disease may start to appear in their late 20s or early 30s. The number of users in the younger age group is growing very fast and causing worry. People should also realize that sometimes if you don’t see any immediate effects, it does not mean that there are no consequences. It can affect your health adversely after 20 or 25 years as well. So, you must remember that even if you are in good health now, vaping can hurt your health anytime.

The Debate about E-cigarettes and Heart Health

Electronic cigarettes came to the markets as a safer option to smoking traditional cigarettes. Especially for people who were planning to quit smoking, it seemed like a good move to move on to these. Since then, there have been many studies, and the results are not entirely in black and white. As usual, there are some more pros and cons, and the debate goes on. There are indications that e-cigarettes have a lot of problems, and the recent health complications in the last couple of years have added to the anxiety. Some people point out that

They seem to be safer options for long-term smokers who are unable to quit even with different aids.
They have fewer toxins and carcinogens which traditional cigarettes have and cause many lung diseases.
There is less chance of people getting second and third-hand smoking effects.

However, if you are trying to quit smoking, then find more effective and better ways to help you. Some research also points to an even more dangerous trend of ‘dual smoking.’ This is when people continue to smoke along with vaping. Like everything else, one has to learn to find accurate information and separate it from biased interpretations. One must remember the serious negative effects and health concerns which arise due to e-cigarettes

Nicotine is a highly addictive compound, and prolonged use can lead to addiction of all kinds
There is a link between nicotine and many health issues, affecting a range of systems and organs, from the cardiovascular and nervous system to cancerous tumors.
Young teens and children can end up with serious issues like poisoning and underdeveloped lungs.
There is insufficient data, and we are yet to discover many other effects of e-cigarettes. More research is required to prove it is better than traditional cigarettes.

What We Know

The American Heart Association has understood the risk that e-cigarettes pose on heart health. (2) They recommend that people look for safer options when trying to quit smoking. There has been a demand for specific steps to stop people, especially young people, not to use e-cigarettes. The increasing popularity can make it seem as reasonable as smoking used to be a decade back.

E-cigarettes should also be part of all smoke-free laws.
There should be stricter laws and tax regulations for e-cigarettes just like for other tobacco products
The availability of appealing flavors to teens and young people. There should be more control over this.
Enforce the laws to prevent people younger than 21 years from buying e-cigarettes.
Studies show that fine particles in the aerosol can have a direct impact on the heart
The presence of formaldehyde can cause damage to the heart.
More research about flavoring agents and their potential health hazards is a must
There is not much known about the second-hand effects of e-cigarettes.

Conclusion

There have been several studies on e-cigarettes, and the research goes on. It is a fact that the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are still not fully known or understood. However, from whatever we know, it is quite clear that they are neither a healthier nor a safer alternative to smoking. So, it is upon us to act cautiously and quit this habit as soon as possible. It took years or rather decades for people to understand the risks of traditional smoking before various laws and regulations were put in place. We must see the direct connection between e-cigarettes and heart diseases as quickly as possible without wasting any more time and lives.