New research suggests that vaping could lead to a "significant" rise in the risk of heart failure. Individuals who have vaped at any time showed a 19% higher likelihood of developing heart failure compared to those who have never used e-cigarettes, according to the findings.
Dr Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, the study’s lead author from MedStar Health in Baltimore, US, said: “More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to harmful effects and finding that it might not be as safe as previously thought.
“The difference we saw was substantial. It’s worth considering the consequences to your health, especially with regard to heart health.”
As per the NHS, heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to effectively pump blood throughout the body, often due to its weakened or stiffened condition. The British Heart Foundation estimates that over one million individuals in the UK suffer from heart failure.
The study included more than 175,000 participants in the US, encompassing both vapers and non-vapers. Within a span of 45 months, 3,242 individuals developed heart failure.
The research discovered that individuals who used e-cigarettes faced a heightened risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, characterised by the heart muscle becoming stiff and inadequately filling with blood between contractions. However, no correlation was observed with reduced ejection fraction, where the heart muscle weakens, and the left ventricle fails to contract adequately during contractions.
