Fresh scientific analysis has raised significant concerns about the cardiovascular safety of vaping, linking the use of e-cigarettes to a substantially increased likelihood of suffering a heart attack.
Key Findings from the Public Health Review
The comprehensive review and meta-analysis, published in the journal BMC Public Health, scrutinised data from 12 large observational studies. Researchers specifically investigated potential connections between e-cigarette use and serious cardiovascular events, namely myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke.
The results were striking. The analysis concluded that individuals who vape have a 1.53 times higher risk of experiencing a heart attack when compared to people who do not use e-cigarettes. This equates to a 53% increase in risk. The data also indicated a 1.05 times elevated risk of stroke among vapers.
Former Smokers Using E-Cigarettes Face the Greatest Danger
Perhaps the most alarming discovery centred on a specific demographic: former cigarette smokers who have switched to vaping. This group was found to be at the highest risk of all.
For these individuals, the likelihood of a heart attack was more than double that of non-users. Their risk of suffering a stroke was also significantly higher, calculated at 1.73 times greater than people who neither smoke nor vape.
Critically, the researchers emphasised that these strong associations persisted even after they adjusted their calculations to account for a history of prior cigarette smoking. This suggests that vaping itself may independently contribute to cardiovascular risk, rather than merely acting as a marker for damage caused by past tobacco use.
Implications for UK Health Policy and the Vaping Boom
These findings arrive at a pivotal moment, as vaping has now overtaken traditional smoking in the UK. According to estimates from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), approximately 5.5 million adults in Great Britain currently use e-cigarettes, representing roughly 10% of the adult population.
The shift has been rapid over the past decade, with many adults adopting vaping as a tool to quit tobacco. Earlier research this year highlighted a potential benefit, finding smokers using nicotine vapes were almost twice as likely to quit successfully compared to those using other nicotine replacement therapies.
However, the demographic breakdown reveals a complex picture:
- More than half of all vapers are former smokers.
- Nearly 40% are dual users, continuing to consume both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes.
- Only around 5% of vapers have never smoked at all.
The authors of the new study have stressed that further research is necessary to confirm these findings. They state that additional evidence will be crucial for policymakers striving to understand the long-term health effects of e-cigarette use amidst their soaring popularity.
The core warning from experts is clear: e-cigarettes should not be assumed to be a risk-free alternative to traditional smoking, and their long-term impact on heart health demands continued scrutiny and public awareness.
