April 3, 2024, 13:52 | Updated: April 3, 2024, 13:53

Smoking e-cigarettes may “significantly” increase the risk of heart failure, new research suggests.

The study showed that people who had ever smoked an e-cigarette were 19% more likely to develop heart failure than those who had never used an e-cigarette.

Scientists surveyed more than 175,000 U.S. adults, including vapers and non-vapers, in one of the largest studies ever to compare the effects of e-cigarettes on the heart. Tests were conducted over a period of four years.

A total of 3,242 participants suffered from heart failure during the study period, but participants who had ever used e-cigarettes were 5 more likely to develop heart failure than those who had never used e-cigarettes. It was 1/2 more expensive.

“More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to adverse effects, and they may not be as safe as previously thought,” said study lead author Yaqub Bene Alhassan, Ph.D., of MedStar Health in Baltimore, USA. It turns out that there is,” he said.

“The difference we saw was considerable. It’s worth considering the impact on your health, especially your heart health.”

read more: Disposable e-cigarettes to be banned by government as part of crackdown on e-cigarette use by young people

read more: New tax on e-cigarettes announced in budget

Heart failure is a condition in which the organs are unable to pump blood properly around the body.

According to the British Heart Foundation, more than one million people in the UK are estimated to have heart failure, with around 20,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

Symptoms include fatigue and shortness of breath, and there are few treatment options.

The study results also showed that vapers had a higher risk of heart failure due to preserved ejection fraction. This is a common type of condition where the heart muscle becomes stiff and does not fill properly with blood during contractions.

However, there was no association between lower ejection fraction, which further restricts blood, and heart failure. Ejection fraction retention has increased in recent decades, and age, obesity, and diabetes are all factors that put people at greater risk.

But it’s not clear why e-cigarettes pose an increased risk.

Last month, the British government introduced tobacco and vaping legislation aimed at curbing smoking among young people. The bill aims to tackle the problem of youth vaping by introducing new powers to restrict vape flavors and packaging that are intentionally marketed to children.

Separately, it has pledged to ban disposable e-cigarettes from April 2025 under environmental laws.