Researchers from the USC Viterbi Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering have concluded that e-cigarettes harm blood vessels and can have negative long-term effects on cardiovascular health. That’s from a new study that was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Although the study was conducted on rats, its findings are still relevant to humans.
“The individual at a young age who smokes, according to the combined results of this study, they are at much higher risk of developing heart failure and other type of cardiovascular disease,” said Niema Pahlevan, a researcher on the study.
Traditional cigarette use among youth has declined since its peak in the mid-1990s. E-cigarettes emerged in the 2000s as a purportedly safer, alternative option.
Pahlevan said he hopes that this study will correct misconceptions about e-cigarettes.
“The overall understanding is that they may have some negatives, but they are not as bad as regular cigarettes,” Pahlevan said. “But what our study shows is, no...when it comes to the cardiovascular system, about the heart and the vascular function, it is as consequential as the regular cigarette.”
The study aims to increase awareness so people can make “better informed decisions” about their nicotine usage, Pahlevan said.
And there is some hope: last year, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that e-cigarette use is down among high schoolers.