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A single session of vaping can cause stress that leads to severe lung damage and puts a person at risk for heart or neurological disease, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) compared oxidative stress in the lungs of cigarette smokers, vapers, and people without a history of long-term use of tobacco or nicotine devices.
Oxidative stress describes the harmful effects of free radicals (unstable molecules) on the body.
Vaping for just 30 minutes caused oxidative stress levels two to four times higher than baseline in people who never smoked.
While vapers have been viewed by some as a “safer” alternative to tobacco and cigarette consumption, data from recent years has shown that the use of these devices has many negative effects.
Researchers found that non-smokers would have two to four times more cells that tested positive for oxidative stress after vaping for just 30 minutes. Little overall change was found for people with a history of smoking, although
For the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, UCLA researchers brought together 32 study participants aged 21 to 33.
They were divided into three groups based on their history of smoking or nicotine use.
Among the volunteers, there were nine regular cigarette users, 12 e-cigarettes or vapers, and 11 non-smoking participants.
The team collected a type of immune cell called CD45 from all participants before and after a 30-minute vaping session.
While people with a short history of smoking still had lower levels of oxidative stress than regular smokers, their CD45 immune cells tested positive for oxidative stress at a two to four-fold rate.
“We were surprised at the severity of the effect a vaping session can have on healthy young people,” said Dr. Holly Middlekauff, professor of cardiology and physiology at UCLA.
“This brief vaping session was no different than what they might experience at a party, but the effects were dramatic.”
Even a person who doesn’t regularly use nicotine products can still open up to certain dangerous conditions, researchers have found.
“Over time, this imbalance can play an important role in the development of certain diseases, including cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological diseases, as well as cancer,” said MiddleHot.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radical cells and antioxidants.
Free radicals are harmful oxygen cells that can damage tissue, and antioxidants are responsible for fighting their harmful cells.
Tissue damage can make a person more vulnerable to diseases like heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes, among many other potential conditions.
Oxidative stress caused by the use of vapers or smoking can put a person at an increased risk of developing cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.
Smoking is a common cause of oxidative stress, and the damage it can cause to the lungs is responsible for the well-known link between lung cancer and smoking.
Electronic cigarettes, and the JUUL brand that has become almost synonymous with devices, have become widely used by teens and young adults.
JUUL first became known in 2015 as an easy, trendy, and low-key way for people to smoke nicotine.
Their use in school-aged children can be attributed to their flavors, and the devices resemble a USB stick, allowing kids to easily carry them to school without getting caught.
Devices like JUULs are largely responsible for a recent increase in nicotine use among adolescents and young adults.
In 2020, nearly 40% of high school students who regularly smoke nicotine did so using an electronic cigarette, according to a report by Tobacco Free Kids.
There has also been a legislative effort across the country to ban devices like vapers, e-cigarettes, and even menthol cigarettes that are blamed for the recent increase in nicotine and tobacco use among teenagers.
Researchers have found a link between adolescents using devices such as vapers and e-cigarettes and the possible use of cigarettes and tobacco
Last year, the sale of all electronic cigarettes was banned in San Francisco, and Chicago banned the sale of flavored nicotine.
The whole of New York State became the first to do so when it banned the sale of flavored tobacco products last year.
A bill in Florida that would have done the same was passed by the state legislature in 2020, but was opposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Menthol cigarettes, which taste like mint, were recently targeted by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are being pulled from the shelves.
The FDA says cigarettes are more likely to harm minorities and young Americans, although some disagree with the potential ban.
Menthol cigarettes are already banned in Massachusetts, as well as the UK, Brazil and other countries.
A previous study found that these types of bans may have the opposite effect and lead to increased smoking among adolescents.
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