A new study has uncovered the immediate effects of both cigarette smoking and vaping on vascular function, even in the absence of nicotine.
The vascular system consists of the network of vessels responsible for transporting blood and lymph fluid throughout the body.
E-cigarettes, commonly referred to as vapes, contain far fewer chemicals and toxins compared to tobacco smoke. This has led many to consider them a less harmful alternative to cigarette smoking.
Their availability in a variety of flavours has also made them particularly appealing to young people. However, new research adds to the growing evidence that vaping can negatively affect health.
Dr. Marianne Nabbout, the study’s lead author from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, stated: “E-cigarettes have long been marketed as a safer alternative to regular tobacco smoking.
“Some believe that e-cigarettes don’t contain any of the harmful products, such as free radicals, found in regular tobacco cigarettes, because no combustion is involved.”
Although vaping exposes users to fewer toxic chemicals than cigarettes, Dr Nabbout emphasises that it can still harm vascular function and overall health.
In the study at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Nabbout and her team examined how cigarette smoking and e-cigarette vaping, with and without nicotine, immediately affect vascular function. The study included 31 healthy smokers and vapers, aged 21 to 49.
During three separate sessions, participants had two MRI scans each—one before and one after smoking or vaping episodes, which included tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarette aerosol with nicotine, and e-cigarette aerosol without nicotine.
A cuff was applied to the upper thigh to limit blood flow.
After the cuff was deflated, the researchers measured the speed of blood flow in the femoral artery and the amount of oxygen in the blood returning to the heart after it supplied the body’s tissues. Blood flow in the brain was also assessed using a special MRI technique called phase-contrast MRI.
The results from smokers and vapers were then compared to baseline scans from 10 non-smokers and non-vapers, aged 21 to 33.
After inhaling each type of vaping or smoking, the results revealed a “significant” reduction in resting blood flow velocity in the superficial femoral artery, which runs along the thigh and supplies oxygenated blood to the lower body.
The decline in vascular function was most noticeable after inhaling e-cigarettes with nicotine, followed by those without nicotine.
Decreased venous oxygen saturation was observed in vapers, regardless of whether the e-cigarettes contained nicotine. The research team suggests an “immediate” reduction in oxygen uptake by the lungs following vaping.
Dr Nabbout said: “This study serves to highlight the acute effects smoking and vaping can have on a multitude of vascular beds in the human body.
“If the acute consumption of an e-cigarette can have an effect that is immediately manifested at the level of the vessels, it is conceivable that the chronic use can cause vascular disease.”
Dr Nabbout emphasises that the key takeaway for the public is that vaping may not be without harm.
She added: “Ultimately, we are relying on science to help guide the regulation of such products in favour of public health. Refraining from smoking and vaping is always recommended.”
The results of the ongoing research are set to be presented at next week’s annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.
Source: Daily Record
