A study has found vaping ‘clear’ e-cigarettes can raise blood pressure and heart rate, which could increase the risk of heart disease in the long term
‘Clear’ vapes are more harmful to your blood pressure and heart rate than non-clear alternatives, researchers have discovered.
These e-cigarettes contain synthetic cooling compounds that trigger the same cooling sensation as menthol but without the minty smell.
The study, conducted by experts from Yale University and Boston University, examined participants aged between 18 and 45.
Prior to testing, volunteers avoided food and caffeine and stayed away from tobacco and exercise for six hours beforehand.
Participants then took three-to-four-second puffs every 30 seconds across a ten-minute period, reports the Express.
Blood pressure and heart rate readings were taken ten minutes following exposure.
Initial measurements were comparable between “clear” and non-“clear” flavoured users.
But after exposure, those using the “clear” e-cigarettes saw a more significant rise in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate.
Surveillance of new products is “critically needed to maximise the impact of flavour bans and protect adolescents and young adults”, researchers concluded.
Earlier this week, research from the University of York and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed that youngsters who vape are three times more likely to become smokers later on. Su Golder, an associate professor in health science at the University of York, said: “The consistency in the evidence is striking. Across multiple studies, young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke in the future. These findings support stronger public health measures to protect teens from the risks associated with vaping.”
The research also revealed several studies have found connections between vaping and conditions such as asthma, coughing, and airway irritation. Experts have also suggested potential links between the use of e-cigarettes and a variety of health problems, including drug use and mental health issues like depression.
Dr Greg Hartwell, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the team discovered “consistent evidence around transitions to smoking which of course, in turn, opens the door to the multitude of harms that conventional cigarettes bring”.
As of 1 June this year, it became unlawful for businesses in the UK to sell or supply single-use vapes. The government cited environmental concerns, explaining: “As well as being eyesores, discarded vapes have a hugely damaging impact on our environment and wildlife. Animals such as birds, fish, and marine mammals can mistake vapes for food and ingest poisonous chemicals.”
The government also expressed that the ban would assist in curbing the increase in young people vaping, as over half of children who use vapes reported that “disposable” models were their preferred product.