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Vaper, even temporarily, can affect blood vessels in healthy people – even if the vape pod does not contain nicotine, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology this week.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Faculty of Medicine studied 31 volunteers, all of them healthy, non-smoking adults, of average age around 24 years old.
Participants were monitored as they each took 16 three-second inhalations from a disposable electronic cigarette. The researchers used an ePuffer with flavored e-cigarette but no nicotine in it. A research coordinator ensured that participants did not cough and swallow the steam.
The researchers then performed an MRI on the participants and found a reduction in blood flow in the femoral artery of their legs. This change occurred after a single vaping experience.
The results suggest an alteration of the function of the endothelium or the lining of the blood vessels, a press release explained.
"These products are advertised as harmless, and many electronic cigarette users are convinced that they are just inhaling water vapor," said Alessandra Caporale, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study, in a statement. . "But the solvents, flavors, and additives in the liquid base, after spraying, expose users to multiple injuries to the airways and blood vessels."
The authors say more research is needed on the long-term effects of e-cigarettes. But it is hard to ignore the short-term damage: a growing number of people have been victims of hospitalized for pulmonary involvement after the vaping. The CDC reports that 153 possible cases have been reported in 16 states since the end of June.
In one of these cases, a healthy 17 year old teenager has passed 10 days on a fan. An 18 year old suffered a collapse of the lungs.
"The damage to the lungs is our main concern right now, but so much else is going on," said Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, at CBS News recently. "There are chemicals in Juul and e-cigs and we do not know exactly what the impact will be because we have not seen it before."
A study published in the journal Pediatrics last year revealed a number of different toxic chemicals in electronic cigarettes, including one related to several types of cancer. Some of the chemicals appeared even when teens used products other than nicotine, such as fruit-flavored vapes.
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