People who use e-cigarettes are significantly more likely to develop heart failure than those who have never used e-cigarettes, according to the largest study to date of the link between e-cigarettes and heart failure. It was revealed that this is one of the prospective studies. The findings are being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Sessions.

Heart failure, a disease that affects more than 6 million adults in the United States, occurs when the heart becomes too hard or too weak to pump blood as effectively as it should. In old age, debilitating symptoms often develop and can lead to frequent hospitalizations.

Electronic nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, vape pens, hookah pens, personal vaporizers and modifications, e-cigars, e-pipes, and e-hookahs, deliver nicotine in the form of an aerosol without combustion. Electronic nicotine products have often been portrayed as a safer alternative to smoking since they were first introduced in the United States in the late 2000s, but as research advances, concerns about potential negative health effects are emerging. is increasing.

“More research is linking e-cigarettes to harmful effects, and they may not be as safe as previously thought,” said Yakub Bene Alhassan, MD, a resident at MedStar Health in Baltimore and the study’s lead author. It turns out that this may not be the case.” “The differences we saw were substantial. It’s worth considering the impact on health, especially heart health.”

In this study, researchers used data from the All of Us survey and electronic health records, a large national study of U.S. adults conducted by the National Institutes of Health, and found that 175,667 studies We analyzed the association between e-cigarette use and new diagnosis of heart failure. Participants (mean age 52 years, 60.5% female). Of this sample, 3,242 participants developed heart failure within a median follow-up of 45 months.

They found that people who had ever used e-cigarettes were 19% more likely to develop heart failure than those who had never used e-cigarettes.

In calculating this difference, researchers considered various demographic and socioeconomic factors, other heart disease risk factors, and participants’ past and current use of other substances such as alcohol and tobacco products. has been taken into consideration. The researchers also found no evidence that the relationship between e-cigarettes and heart failure varied by participants’ age, gender, or smoking status.

Breaking down the data by type of heart failure, the increased risk associated with e-cigarette use is statistically significant in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), where the heart muscle becomes stiff and doesn’t fill properly with blood between contractions. It was statistically significant.

However, this association was not significant in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), where the myocardium becomes weaker and the left ventricle no longer compresses as much as it should during contraction. The prevalence of HFpEF has increased in recent decades, and increasing attention has been focused on identifying risk factors and improving treatment options for this type of heart failure.

The findings are consistent with previous studies conducted in animals showing that e-cigarette use can affect the heart in ways related to heart changes associated with heart failure. Other studies in humans have also shown an association between e-cigarette use and several risk factors associated with the development of heart failure.

However, previous studies that have attempted to assess the direct relationship between e-cigarette use and heart failure have been inconclusive, which Bene Alhassan attributes to the inherent limitations of cross-sectional study designs, small sample sizes, and He said this was due to a small number of hearts. Failure events seen in past studies.

Researchers say the new study results indicate the need for additional investigation into the potential effects of e-cigarettes on heart health, especially given the prevalence of e-cigarette use among young people. He said that Studies show that approximately 5% to 10% of U.S. teens and adults use e-cigarettes. In 2018, the U.S. Surgeon General called youth e-cigarette use an epidemic and warned of the health risks associated with nicotine addiction.

“I think this study has been long overdue, especially given how much attention e-cigarettes are getting,” Bene-Alhassan said. “We don’t want to wait too long until we finally find out that it can be harmful. And by then, a lot of the harm may have already been done. As more research continues… “If we do, we’ll learn more about underlying health conditions.”Improve results and improve the information we share with the public. ”

Bene-Alhassan also said that e-cigarettes are not recommended as a means of quitting smoking because many people may continue vaping long after quitting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a combination of counseling and medication as the best strategy for smoking cessation.

The researchers said the study’s prospective observational design allows them to infer, but not conclusively determine, a causal relationship between e-cigarette use and heart failure. However, because of the large sample size and detailed data on substance use and health information, this study is one of the most comprehensive studies evaluating this relationship to date, Bene Alhassan said.