Vaping has an “immediate” negative effect on the functioning of blood vessels, even if the electronic cigarette does not contain nicotine.
A new study showed that after just a few inhalations, the amount of oxygen-rich blood reaching organs such as the heart decreases significantly.
Scientists say the results may mean that regular vaping could lead to blood clots, strokes and other vascular conditions, including dementia.
The effect was most dramatic in people who used vaporizers containing nicotine, but was seen even among those who smoked drug-free versions.
Both nicotine and non-nicotine vapes were found to cause more blood vessel problems than regular cigarettes.
Nicotine has long been known to damage blood vessels, but researchers believe their findings show there is something inherently harmful about e-cigarettes.
The devices work by heating a liquid that turns into a vapor that is inhaled and do not contain the same carcinogenic chemicals as tobacco smoke.
But the vapor from e-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances such as lead, nickel and formaldehyde, depending on the brand of the device.
Dr Marianne Nabbout, lead author of the study and a radiology resident at the University of Arkansas, said: “E-cigarettes have long been marketed as a safer alternative to regular smoking.
They were rated as a safe alternative to smoking, but the jury is against vaping (stock)
“Some believe that e-cigarettes do not contain any of the harmful products, such as free radicals, found in regular tobacco cigarettes, because they do not involve combustion.”
But she said that wasn’t true.
“Even if there was no nicotine in the e-cigarette, there could be other components that could be harmful,” Dr. Nabbout said.
“That’s why I think we saw these significant effects even when subjects weren’t choosing the nicotine-based e-cigarette.”
Most doctors agree that vaping is safer than cigarettes and encourage patients who smoke to switch to electronic devices.
But there are concerns that young people who have never used tobacco products are becoming addicted to vaporizers that come in bright, kid-friendly flavors and colors.
By 2024, an estimated 7 percent of American adults would currently vape, compared to 11 percent who used cigarettes.
Meanwhile, 1.63 million U.S. middle and high school students (5.9 percent) used e-cigarettes this year.
Dr. Nabbout and her team study what happened to the bodies of cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, and vapers who used nicotine-free products.
They enrolled 31 people between the ages of 21 and 49 and compared their results with those of 10 people who did not smoke or vape.
Participants underwent MRIs before and after vaping or smoking, or at each visit for non-users.
Vascular dementia is one of the risks of long-term damage to blood vessels (stock)
Each volunteer also wore a cuff on their upper thigh to restrict blood flow before and after use.
Once deflated, the researchers measured the speed at which the blood moved through the femoral artery, which runs along the thigh and supplies oxygenated blood to the lower body.
The researchers also looked at the amount of oxygen present in the blood that returns to the heart after it supplies oxygen to the body’s tissues.
They found that every time someone smoked or vaped, there was a significant decrease in all three markers.
People who used vapes with nicotine had the most significant reduction in vascular function, followed by the group who used vapes without nicotine.
Dr Nabbout said: “This study serves to highlight the acute effects that smoking and vaping can have on a multitude of vascular beds in the human body.
“If acute consumption of an electronic cigarette can have an effect that manifests immediately at the level of the vessels, it is possible that chronic use can cause vascular diseases.”
Over time, there is concern that these effects could lead to vascular dementia, when blood vessels in the brain become damaged, reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
It could also cause strokes, blood clots, and coronary artery disease.
Dr Nabbout says the takeaway for the public is that vaping may not be harm-free.
He added: ‘Ultimately, we rely on science to help guide the regulation of such products in favor of public health.
“It is always recommended to refrain from smoking and vaping.”
The results of the ongoing research have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, but are instead a presentation at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.