Does Vaping Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease?
Most people associate the dangers of smoking and vaping with lung cancer. While this is certainly one of the most prominent risks associated with smoking, it’s not the only one. Smoking is also extremely harmful for your cardiovascular system, and smokers are actually more likely to die from heart disease than lung cancer.
In an attempt to quit smoking, many people have turned to vaping in the hope that it will provide fewer harmful side effects. While research on vaping is still in its early stages, many of the studies that have been conducted link vaping to both lung and heart conditions.
Research Indicates Vaping Has a Negative Impact on Cardiovascular Health
Current research strongly indicates that vaping increases the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular issues. This risk is present even in young adults and among individuals who have never smoked cigarettes. The following overview provides some of the research supporting this conclusion.
The American Heart Association presented two separate studies at their 2022 Scientific Sessions detailing the harmful ways vaping can impact your body:
- One report found that both smokers and vapers exhibited greater increases in heart rate, blood pressure and blood vessel constriction immediately following consumption of these nicotine products compared with nonsmokers.
- Another report found that vaping consistently resulted in worse performance on treadmill exercise metrics that predict risk for heart disease compared with nonsmokers.
- Both studies found that vaping resulted in similar negative impacts on cardiovascular function as smoking.
Additional research has provided supporting evidence that vaping has a negative impact on your cardiovascular system:
- Vaping every day has been found to double your risk of having a heart attack
- Vaping has been linked to a 20% increase in the risk of developing heart failure
- Long-term vaping has been found to damage the function of your blood vessels
- Vaping places your heart in a state of sympathetic activation (fight or flight mode), which creates long-term risks for your heart health
How Does Vaping Impact Your Heart?
The chemicals contained in vaping products are absorbed by your body and enter your bloodstream. These substances can negatively impact your heart in a variety of ways:
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure – Vaping results in an adrenaline spike in your body. This can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to rise, which can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks.
- Destabilizing of cholesterol deposits – Over time, regular vaping makes the cholesterol built up in your arteries become unstable. This can increase the chances the cholesterol in your blood vessels ruptures, causing blood clots that may trigger a heart attack or stroke.
- Impeded blood clotting ability – There are chemicals, preservatives and other compounds in the vaping liquid that can negatively impact your body’s natural blood clotting ability.
- Increased arterial stiffness – Prolonged vaping can damage blood vessels, reduce nitric oxide production (which is critical for blood vessel relaxation) and increase arterial stiffness. This can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
According to the American Heart Association, the negative impacts of vaping on cardiovascular function are similar to what occurs among individuals who smoke traditional cigarettes. This has been demonstrated even among younger individuals who have vaped for fewer years than long-time smokers.
Is Vaping More Dangerous for Certain Age Groups?
Vaping is dangerous for people of all ages. Everyone is at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease if they are vaping. However, young people, particularly teens and individuals in their early 20s, are especially at risk due to the potential for long-term impacts on their heart health. It’s possible that teenagers who are vaping can potentially develop cardiovascular issues at an early age if they continue engaging in this activity over time.
Survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 27.5% of high school students and 10.5% of middle school students are currently vaping, and this figure is expected to rise over time. If this trend holds, it’s likely that we’ll see a larger number of cardiac events and a larger percentage of people developing cardiovascular disease at an early age over the next couple of decades. For this reason, it’s critical to educate young people about the long-term consequences vaping can have on their heart health.
Can Quitting Vaping Reverse Heart and Blood Vessel Damage?
The good news is that quitting vaping can repair some of the damage caused to your heart and blood vessels. Within a few weeks, you’ll experience improved blood flow and reduced inflammation. Over time, your risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions will continuously decline as well.
Here are some of the ways in which the health of your cardiovascular system will improve after you quit vaping:
- Short-term benefits (first few months after quitting) – Heart rate and blood pressure return to normal, carbon monoxide levels in your blood normalize, circulation improves, risk of blood clots decreases, blood vessels begin to heal and blood flow improves.
- Long-term benefits (1 year or longer after quitting) – Risk of heart disease drops by 50% (1 year), stroke risk drops to the level of a non-vaper (5 years) and overall cardiovascular health can return to levels of a nonsmoker/non-vaper (10-20 years).
Important Resources to Help You Quit Vaping
If you’ve struggled to quit vaping, there are a variety of resources available to help you make this important lifestyle change. Here are some of the best programs, tools and support services to help you quit:
1-800- QUIT-NOW – Free, confidential support from trained quit coaches who can help you create a quit plan, manage cravings and provide ongoing encouragement. This hotline is available in a variety of languages.- QuitSTART App – A free mobile app with personalized tips, progress tracking and motivational messages.
- Smokefree TXT – A text messaging program that sends daily tips and encouragement. Sign up at smokefree.gov or text “QUIT” to 47848.
- My Life, My Quit – Free coaching and support to teens and young adults. Text “Start My Quit” to 36072 or visit mylifemyquit.com.
- Nicotine Anonymous – Peer-led, 12-step meetings (in person and online) for anyone wanting to quit using nicotine products, including vaping.
- Healthcare providers – Many healthcare providers can offer counseling, prescribe medications and refer you to local support services that will help you quit.
- Nicotine replacement therapy – Products such as patches, gum, lozenges and inhalers can help you reduce your nicotine dependency.
- Prescription medications – Medications such as Varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban) can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- Smokefree.gov – Tips, tools and live support specifically catering to teens looking to quit smoking and vaping.
1-800- QUIT-NOW – Free, confidential support from trained quit coaches who can help you create a quit plan, manage cravings and provide ongoing encouragement. This hotline is available in a variety of languages.South Denver Cardiology Can Help You Live a Heart Healthy Life
At South Denver Cardiology, we’re committed to helping you live a heart healthy life. Our team offers a variety of services that will help you make the lifestyle adjustments necessary to improve your heart health and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease:
- Our medical weight loss clinic can help you maintain a heart healthy weight
- Our nutritional counseling services can help you learn how to eat a heart healthy diet
- Our mind/body studio can help you manage stress to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions
- Our medical fitness gym will help you develop an exercise plan that will optimize your heart health
We also provide diagnostic services to identify any signs of cardiovascular disease in their earliest stages, when minimally invasive treatments can still deliver effective results. We can also recommend a variety of preventive cardiology treatments to address the early stages of heart disease before any serious health issues develop.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment. We serve patients in South Denver, Littleton and the surrounding areas.
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