Expert warning over vaping side effects that 'can't be ignored'

If you want a good chance at living a long and prosperous life, the only thing you should be inhaling into your lungs is air.

We know that smoking is a habit that doesn't do your health, or your bank balance, any good - but we are still finding out about how vaping impacts the human body.

A new study has revealed that the so-called 'safer alternatives' to cigarettes aren't that safe after all.

Research that was published in the American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology detailed some interesting findings that boffins made after assessing more than 6,000 participants.

It explains that smokers and vapers are almost 50 percent more likely to have elevated blood pressure than someone who does neither of these habits.

According to the authors, these two groups 'had significantly higher prevalence of elevated blood pressure'.

Smokers and vapers are at a higher risk of experiencing high blood pressure, which puts you in dangers of suffering from several sinister conditions (Getty Stock Image)

Most people don't even realise they have this condition, which is also known as hypertension, as it doesn't typically cause any symptoms. That's why it's nicknamed the 'silent killer'.

The NHS explains that if your blood pressure is too high, 'it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as your brain, kidneys and eyes'.

High blood pressure also drastically increases your risk of suffering from serious conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease and vascular dementia.

So...when you think about it, it is pretty bonkers that such a large amount of people continue to smoke and vape when we're all well aware of the potential consequences.

Vikram Niranjan, a public health specialist and epidemiologist, reckons the writing is already on the wall.

In an article published by The Conversation, he reeled off some of the other sinister side-effects that come with vaping - such as reduced lung function, wheezing, coughing and bronchitis-like symptoms.

Niranjan, who is also a dentist, believes that the 'most urgent concern is what has happened among young people'.

Niranjan said he is particularly concerned by how many young people are now vaping (Getty Stock Image)

He pointed out that e-cigarettes have introduced a new generation to nicotine addiction.

The expert said studies have shown that there seems to be a link between the bad habit and youngsters experiencing 'depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, with nicotine’s known effects on the developing brain almost certainly playing a role'.

In his eyes, the future looks quite bleak considering that so many teenagers are puffing on vapes.

"With vaping, signals of cardiovascular strain, lung irritation, youth gateways and addiction are flashing red, even if full epidemics lie years ahead," Niranjan wrote. "The sensible conclusion is not complicated.

"If you have never smoked, don’t vape. If you do smoke and want to quit, patches, gum, medication and proper support remain the best-evidenced options.

"Vaping may have a role as a short-term bridge - but not as a permanent habit, and not for anyone who wouldn’t otherwise have been a smoker.

"The warning signs are there. The question is whether we act on them before the long-term consequences become impossible to ignore."

If you needed a sign to quit, this might just be it.