America was attacked by an outbreak in the summer of 2019. US health authorities claimed that 68 people died and over 2,800 people were hospitalised. The common and the most likely reason was a substance that causes lung tissue destruction, found in some vapes, which caused people to cough and gasp for air, according to Science Alert.
The outburst about lung injuries prompted academics to look into the negative effects of vaping on health.
Five years later, there is growing evidence from extensive, long-term research showing e-cigarette use is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory illnesses.
These findings are now reinforced by a new study that was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific meeting last week.
Researchers discovered that e-cigarette users who have ever used them have a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure than non-users who are 18 years of age or older.
Heart failure, as opposed to a sudden attack, is the gradual weakening or hardening of the heart to the point where it becomes difficult for it to pump blood throughout the body. “More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to harmful effects and finding that it might not be as safe as previously thought,” Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, a physician and researcher at MedStar Health in Baltimore, said in a statement after presenting the results. “The difference we saw was substantial.”
Vapes or e-cigarettes electronically heat up a solution of glycerine, flavours and nicotine, the addictive substance in the cigarettes. While people use cigarettes for the nicotine hit, it is the tar from smoking that kills. This is the reason e-cigarettes were pushed as aid for smoking cessation. There is, however, not enough data to show that the use of e-cigarettes actually helps you quit smoking and users end up using both cigarettes and vapes. Besides, different flavours in vapes may prompt non-smokers to take up the habit. US data shows that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco products by students.
