Does vaping increase risk of heart failure?

Many people depend on battery-run e-cigarettes as they are touted as safer than conventional cigarettes that have tobacco. The e-cigarette users inhale the aerosol produced by heating a liquid mixture of nicotine, propylene, glycol, flavours and other chemicals. According to recent studies, e-cigarettes are as bad as traditional cigarettes and vaping increases the chances of heart attack by 19 %.

After studying 1.7 lakh e-cigarette users for 45 months, the researchers of MedStar Health in Baltimore found that as many as 3,242 people had heart attacks. The use of e-cigarettes results in heart muscles getting stiff, they damage the outer layer of blood vessels and new blood vessels, say researchers. These conditions can increase the chances of heart failure and stroke.

The alarming fact is that dangerous chemicals are produced when the liquid mixture is heated as there is no quality standard set for the ingredients that go into the making of e-cigarettes. Regular use of e-cigarettes can also cause cancer. Though the production and sale of e-cigarettes are banned in India, doubts are being raised about whether they are available in the black market. The Preventive Medical Reports in a survey found that 23% of Indians are using e-cigarettes and 8% are habitual vapers.