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The researchers discovered that exposure to electronic cigarette aroma can damage endothelial cells, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. It is the aroma of electronic cigarettes that poses the greatest risk to heart health. ( Horst Winkler | pixabay )
A new study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that the use of electronic cigarettes is not always a health option, especially when it is not used to stop smoking.
Electronic cigarettes are considered safer than traditional cigarettes, but they nevertheless pose health risks. The new study, published in the journal Journal of the American College of Cardiology Monday shows that the use of appliances as well as aromas of electronic cigarettes may pose a risk of heart disease.
Endothelial cells
Endothelial cells, which line the interior of the blood vessels, promote heart and cardiovascular health. Damaged endothelial cells can hinder the body's ability to heal wounds and form new vascular tubes. The damage can eventually lead to cardiovascular disease.
Joseph Wu, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, and his colleagues exposed electronic cigarette aromas to lab-grown endothelial cells and found that this increased the levels of molecules related to DNA damage and the destruction of cells.
The most dangerous electronic cigarette flavors for heart health
The flavors of the electronic cigarette used by the researchers in the experiments were caramel, menthol, sweet tobacco, sweet caramel, cinnamon, fruit and vanilla. Among these flavors, they found that cinnamon and menthol seemed to pose the greatest threat to cell viability.
Wu and his colleagues have also discovered that cinnamon and menthol-flavored electronic liquids can disrupt the ability of cells to form capillary-like tubular structures, affecting the growth of new blood vessels.
"The cytotoxicity of e-liquids varied considerably, with the cinnamon flavored product being the most powerful," the researchers wrote in their study.
Independent effects of nicotine content
Some of the effects depended on the concentration of nicotine, but the researchers also found that other effects, such as decreased cell viability and cell migration, were not affected by nicotine content.
This is of concern because e-cigarettes can be misleading and cause users to be exposed to high levels of nicotine over a short period of time.
"It's important that e-cigarette users realize that these chemicals circulate in their bodies and affect their vascular health." Wu said.
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