New research shows that vaping significantly increases the risk of developing heart failure.

A four-year study found that people who use e-cigarettes are almost one-fifth more likely to develop fatal symptoms.

Experts warned that the practice was particularly worrying given that many young people were adopting it, and that “the health implications are worth considering”.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart becomes too hard or too weak to pump blood effectively.

More than 1 million adults in the UK and around 6.5 million people in the US suffer from the debilitating symptoms.

Researchers tracked 175,000 U.S. adults and found that those who used e-cigarettes were 19 percent more likely to develop heart failure.

The increased risk was found to be the result of adjusting for other factors that may cause symptoms, such as whether the participants smoked or were obese.

“More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to adverse effects, suggesting they may not be as safe as previously thought,” said lead author of the new study, Dr. Yaqub Bene Alhassan of MedStar Health in Baltimore. It has been found that there is,” he said.

“The difference we saw was significant.

“It is worth considering the impact on your health, especially your heart health.

“I think this study has been long overdue, especially given how much attention e-cigarettes have received.

Researchers tracked 175,000 U.S. adults and found that those who used e-cigarettes were 19 percent more likely to develop heart failure.

“We don’t want to wait too long until we finally find out that it could be harmful, but by then a lot of the harm could have already been done.

“Further research will reveal more about the potential health effects and improve the information available to the public.”

The findings will be presented today at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific meeting.

The study involved 175,667 U.S. adults with an average age of 52 years.

Approximately 3,242 of them developed heart failure during the 4-year follow-up period.

E-cigarette use was associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of the most common type of heart failure known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In this type of heart failure, the heart muscle becomes stiff, maintains its ejection fraction, and does not fill properly with blood between heart contractions. contraction.

However, it was not found to increase the risk of reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a condition in which the heart muscle becomes weaker and the left ventricle does not tighten as much as necessary during contraction.

The findings are part of a growing body of evidence about the potential long-term health effects caused by e-cigarettes.

Although health officials generally consider it less harmful than smoking, previous studies have found that e-cigarettes cause the same increases in blood pressure and heart rate seen after smoking.

Last month, a study found that cigarettes cause cell changes similar to those seen with smoking, which can lead to cancer.

Figures show one in five children have tried e-cigarettes despite being illegal for under-18s, while the number of children using e-cigarettes has tripled in the past three years Became.

This has prompted the government to introduce legislation aimed at combating the childhood vaping scourge.

The Tobacco and E-Cigarette Bill will create new powers to restrict the flavors and packaging of e-cigarettes that are intentionally marketed to children.

James Leiper, deputy medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “This shows a clear link between e-cigarettes and an increased chance of developing heart failure, a debilitating disease that prevents the heart from functioning properly. “This is the largest study to date.” .

“While further research is needed to understand exactly how e-cigarettes increase the risk of heart failure, these important findings suggest that e-cigarettes may have long-term harmful effects on the heart and blood vessels. This further strengthens the evidence.”

“This is an important reminder that e-cigarettes are not harmless.

“If you’re concerned about your heart and circulatory health, it’s wise to take steps to stop vaping.”