Nicotine free vaping or e-cigarettes can damage your blood vessels

USA: Vaping, or smoking e-cigarettes, is rising in popularity due to its marketing as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Now, a new study published in the journal Radiology has found this tobacco-free alternative to be harmful to the blood vessels of the body. The results demonstrate that even without nicotine, e-cigarettes are harmful to the body.

Electronic cigarettes (hereafter, e-cigarettes) deliver nicotine by the electric heating and aerosolization of a flavored solution or e-liquid. Owing to its widespread use it is becoming a public health issue, especially among teenagers.

Previous studies showed that nicotinized electronic cigarettes (hereafter, e-cigarettes) elicit systemic oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the effect of the aerosol alone on endothelial function is not fully understood. Felix W. Wehrli, a professor of Radiologic Science and Biophysics, and colleagues studied surrogate markers of endothelial function in nonsmokers after inhalation of aerosol from nicotine-free e-cigarettes.

The researchers performed MRI exams on 31 healthy, non-smoking adults (mean age, 24.3 years) before and after vaping a nicotine-free e-cigarette.

To evaluate vascular reactivity, the group constricted the vessels of the thigh with a cuff and then measured how quickly the blood flowed after its release. Using a multi-parametric MRI procedure, researchers scanned the femoral artery and vein in the leg before and after each vaping episode to see how vascular function changed.

Key findings include:

• Comparing the pre- and post-MRI data, the single episode of vaping resulted in reduced blood flow and impaired endothelial function in the large (femoral) artery that supplies blood to the thigh and leg.


• A 34 percent reduction in the femoral artery's dilation was observed in participants exposed to vaping


• E-cigarettes exposure also led to a 17.5 percent reduction in peak blood flow, a 20 percent reduction in venous oxygen, and a 25.8 percent reduction in blood acceleration after the cuff release -- the speed at which the blood returned to the normal flow after being constricted.


• Remaining parameters did not change after aerosol inhalation.

The endothelium, which lines the inside surface of blood vessels, is essential to proper blood circulation. Once the endothelium is damaged, arteries thicken and blood flow to the heart and the brain can be cut off, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

While e-cigarette liquid may be relatively harmless, the vaporization process can transform the molecules -- primarily propylene glycol and glycerol -- into toxic substances," said Dr. Wehrli. "Beyond the harmful effects of nicotine, we've shown that vaping has a sudden, immediate effect on the body's vascular function, and could potentially lead to long-term harmful consequences."

Wehrli noted that they observed these striking changes after the participants (all of whom never smoked previously) used an e-cigarette a single time. More research is needed to address the potential long-term adverse effects of vaping on vascular health, but he predicts that e-cigarettes are potentially much more hazardous than previously assumed. Earlier this year, for instance, his research group found that acute exposure to e-cigarettes causes vascular inflammation.

"I would warn young people to not even get started using e-cigarettes. The common belief is that the nicotine is what is toxic, but we have found that dangers exist, independent of nicotine," Wehrli said. "Clearly if there is an effect after a single use of an e-cigarette, then you can imagine what kind of permanent damage could be caused after vaping regularly over the years."

The bottom line of the study is -- vaping can cause significant changes to the inner lining of blood vessels.

To read the complete study follow the link: https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2019190562