Abstract
Background: The number of e-cigarette users has increased dramatically in the last few years. The e-cigarette is marketed as a smoke cessation aid, although conclusive evidence regarding its efficiency as such is lacking. Our group has demonstrated possible vascular damage following e-cigarette use and analysis of e-cigarette vapor and animal models has raised safety concerns. Few studies address acute effects of e-cigarette inhalation in humans.
Methods: Fifteen healthy young volunteers were randomized to 30 minutes of e-cigarette inhalation with or without nicotine in a crossover fashion. Blood pressure, heart rate and arterial stiffness were measured directly following exposure and at 2 and 4 hours. Arterial stiffness was measured with pulse wave velocity (PWV, Vicorder) and pulsewave-analysis (AiX75, SphygmoCor).
Results: Blood pressure increased significantly during the first 30 minutes following e-cigarette inhalation with nicotine. Heart rate and arterial stiffness increased significantly only following e-cigarette exposure containing nicotine (Fig. 1).
Discussion: Increased arterial stiffness is a blood pressure independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Our study demonstrates that arterial stiffness increases significantly following e-cigarette use containing nicotine, but not in the nicotine free control. The immediate increase in arterial stiffness is most likely attributed to nicotine, which has potent sympathomimetic effects. As conventional cigarette smoking has similar acute effects on vascular stiffness it is likely that daily e-cigarette use may chronically alter vascular stiffness. It is of outmost importance to further investigate possible long-term effects of daily e-cigarette use.
- Copyright ©the authors 2017
