A new research has suggested that vapers who regularly use e-cigarettes are two times more likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smokers.
People who used to smoke before they switched to e-cigarettes are at an even higher risk, while the people who use both types of cigarettes were found to have the highest chances of having a heart attack.
The study carried out in the University of California, San Francisco, revealed that vapers who previously used to smoke traditional cigarettes are 3 times more likely to experience a heart attack than those people who have never smoked in their lifetime.
People who regularly smoke but do not use e-cigarettes are 2.72 times likely to suffer a heart attack, and ex-smokers who neither smoke nor vape are 1.7 times more at risk.
The risk of having a heart attack was found to be the highest among those people who smoke both tobacco and vape in the form of traditional and electronic cigarettes. Such people are 4.62 times more likely to have a heart attack than the people who have never smoked or vaped.
Dr Stanton Glantz, the lead study author, said: ‘Most adults who use e-cigarettes continue to smoke cigarettes.
‘While people may think they are reducing their health risks, we found that the heart attack risk of e-cigarettes adds to the risk of smoking cigarettes. Using both products at the same time is worse than using either one separately.’
The researchers analyzed the data collected from The National Health Interview Survey conducted in 2014 and 2016.
In the interviews, 69,452 adults living in the US were asked: ‘Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had a heart attack (also called myocardial infarction)?’
They were then asked about their current and previous usage of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
‘Someone who continues to smoke daily while using e-cigarettes daily increases the odds of a heart attack by a factor of five,’ Dr Glantz said while speaking of the results published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
‘The risk of heart attack starts to drop immediately after you stop smoking. Our results suggest the same is true when they stop using e-cigarettes.’
The researchers added that e-cigarettes may be more harmful than what has been revealed by various studies. It is because they haven’t been available long enough to cause serious damages to the hearts of users.
‘The only way to substantially reduce the risk of a heart attack is to stop using tobacco,’ Dr Glantz concluded.
Professor of public health and policy at the University of Liverpool, Simon Capewell, said: ‘The MPs are clearly being too hasty in declaring eCigarettes safe.
‘The recent US analysis demonstrates that using Ecigs may double someone’s chances of a heart attack. This is entirely consistent with other studies demonstrating worryingly high levels of toxins in eCig vapour, and immediate changes in the skin lining the lungs, in blood pressure, heart rate and so on.
‘Furthermore, the S&T Committee has produced a very one-sided report, favouring “experts” who are eCig champions.
‘Scientists with more objective views have been excluded, or their concerns have been dismissed.
‘The very close relationship between the tobacco industry, the committee chair and also some committee members is likewise very worrying. This raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest.’
A spokesman for UK Vaping Industry Association added: ‘This research again highlights why smokers looking to switch should switch completely.
‘Last Year Cancer Researcher U.K. released findings of their year long study comparing smokers, vapers and “dual users”.
‘It found that those who had switched entirely to e-cigarettes had almost none of the cancer causing toxins associated with smoking in their system.
‘While those who continued to smoke and vape had retained the harmful toxins. Therefore the best switch is a full switch.’
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