A recent study published in the SAGE journal, Vascular Medicine, has once again correlated vaping to arterial stiffness and elevated vital signs. Conducted by Franzen et al., the study results were obtained by monitoring participant’s vitals during and after they had smoked a cigarette, or vaped a nicotine containing or non-nicotine containing e-cigarette.
A study from Sweden published last year, had also obtained similar results. “The immediate increase in arterial stiffness that we saw is most likely attributed to nicotine; the increase was temporary. However, the same temporary effects on arterial stiffness have also been demonstrated following use of conventional cigarettes,” said senior author and study presenter Magnus Lundbäck, MD, PhD. “Therefore, we speculate that chronic exposure to e-cigarettes with nicotine may cause permanent effects on arterial stiffness in the long term.”
The stimulant effect of nicotine has little relevance for health
However, considering that smoking and even drinking coffee has the same effect on the body, public health experts had pointed out the importance of putting these findings in the right context. Dr Tim Chico, a reader in Cardiovascular Medicine and a consultant cardiologist at the University of Sheffield, had pointed out that of course the devices are not completely risk free, but they are proven to be significantly safer than their combustible counterparts, and must be therefore viewed and regulated in this context.
In line with Dr. Chico’s arguments, Prof. Peter Hajek, who is the director at the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit, at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), had pointed out that there are other things that have the same effect on the body, and are considered irrelevant in terms of health risks. “This is a well-known stimulant effect of nicotine that has little relevance for health. Drinking coffee has the same effect, only greater and longer lasting (as does watching a dramatic football match),” he explained.
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