Experts discover a disturbing link between vaping and dementia after just a few puffs
Vaping has an ‘immediate’ negative effect on the functioning of the blood vessels – even if the e-cigarette does not contain nicotine.
A new study shows that after just a few puffs, the amount of oxygen-rich blood delivered to organs such as the heart drops significantly.
Scientists say the results could mean that regular vaping can lead to blood clots, strokes and other vascular diseases, including dementia.
The effect was most dramatic in people who used vapes containing nicotine, but was seen even in those who used drug-free versions.
Both nicotine and nicotine-free vapors were found to cause more problems with blood vessels than regular cigarettes.
It has long been known that nicotine damages blood vessels, but researchers believe their findings show that there is something inherently harmful about e-cigarettes.
The devices work by heating liquid that turns into a vapor that is inhaled and they do not contain the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco smoke.
But depending on the brand of device, e-cigarette vapor can also contain other harmful substances, such as lead, nickel and formaldehyde.
Dr. Marianne Nabbout, lead author of the study and a radiology resident at the University of Arkansas, said: ‘E-cigarettes have long been marketed as a safer alternative to regular tobacco smoking.
They were called a safe alternative to smoking, but the jury is out against vaping (stock)
‘Some believe that e-cigarettes do not contain any of the harmful products, such as free radicals, found in regular tobacco cigarettes because there is no combustion involved.’
But she said that wasn’t true.
‘Even if there is no nicotine in the e-cigarette, there may be other components that could be harmful,’ says Dr Nabbout.
“That’s why I think we saw these significant effects even when the subjects didn’t choose the nicotine-based electronic cigarette.”
Most doctors agree that vaping is safer than cigarettes and encourage patients who smoke to switch to electronic devices.
But there are concerns that young people who have never used tobacco products are becoming addicted to vapes with kid-friendly flavors and bright colors.
An estimated 7 percent of American adults currently vaped in 2024, compared to 11 percent who used cigarettes.
Meanwhile, 1.63 million U.S. middle and high school students (5.9 percent) used e-cigarettes this year.
Dr. Nabbout and her team are investigating what happened to the bodies of cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users and vapers who used products without nicotine.
They recruited 31 people between the ages of 21 and 49 and compared their results with those of 10 people who did not smoke or vape.
Participants received MRI scans before and after vaping or smoking, or at each visit for the non-users.
Vascular dementia is one of the risks of long-term damage to blood vessels (stock)
Each volunteer also wore a cuff on their thigh to restrict blood flow before and after use.
Once deflated, the researchers measured the speed at which blood flowed through the femoral artery. that runs along the thigh and carries oxygen-rich blood to the lower body.
The researchers also looked at the amount of oxygen present in the blood returning to the heart after delivering oxygen to the body’s tissues.
They found that every time someone smoked or vaped, there was a significant decrease in all three markers.
The people who used vapes with nicotine had the greatest reduction in vascular function, followed by the group who used vapes without nicotine.
Dr. Nabbout said: ‘This study serves to highlight the acute effects that smoking and vaping can have on a large number of vascular beds in the human body.
‘If the acute consumption of an e-cigarette can have an effect that is directly manifested at the level of the blood vessels, it is conceivable that chronic use can cause vascular diseases.’
There are concerns that over time these effects could lead to vascular dementia, in which the blood vessels in the brain become damaged, reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
It can also lead to strokes, blood clots and coronary artery disease.
Dr. Nabbout says the message to the public is that vaping may not be without harm.
She added: “Ultimately, we rely on science to help guide the regulation of such products for the benefit of public health.
‘It is always recommended not to smoke and vape.’
The results of the ongoing research have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, but are a presentation at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.