Quit Smoking But Turned to Vaping? Here's Why You Should be Careful

We have often seen people turn to e-cigarettes as a means to quit smoking. This is hardly surprising because many believe e-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to actual cigarettes since vaping does not involve tobacco. Let’s make it a bit clear here: e-cigarettes are a type of electronic nicotine delivery system, also known as ENDS for short. It is filled with liquid nicotine, which emits a vapor instead of burning. Inhaling this vapour, or ‘vaping’ as it is popularly called, has its health risks.

According to a report published in Dainik Jagran, a study suggests that nicotine, consumed this way, immediately accelerates blood clotting in the human body. It also reportedly restricts the ability of minor arteries to dilate, which in turn increases blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine also increases the level of adrenaline in the body, which is also responsible for blood clotting to an extent.

This research was presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress on Monday. Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied a group of 22 men and women, in the age group 18-45, who were occasional smokers but were still healthy. However, immediate short-term changes were observed in their bodies after they started vaping.

Gustaf Lietinen, who is a doctor at Helsingborg Hospital and researcher at the Karolinska Institute, said that the effects were concerning since they were close to the effects of conventional cigarettes.

Effect of e-cigarettes as seen in the experiment:

The rate of blood clotting increased by 23 percent within just 15 minutes of nicotine intake. It was normalized after an hour.

The heart rate showed a sharp increase from 66 beats per minute (BPM) to 73 BPM.

There was a rise in the average blood pressure (108 mmHg to 117 mmhg).

The arteries of the participants were found to be shrinking for some time.

However, the above effects were not seen in those who used e-cigarettes without nicotine.

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