Doctors warn about dangerous side effect from vaping even without nicotine

Vaping even without nicotine causes a serious risk to your health, according to a study from scientists looking in to the risks around the alternative to smoking.

For years now, many have puffed on an e-cigarette instead of lighting up, believing it to be a healthier and safer option than the original tobacco product.

Worryingly, a first of its kind research has now revealed that vaping could actually be worse than smoking cigarettes, a finding that the study's author was shocked at after believing smoking was worse than vaping.

It is also something that is in direct opposition to what the NHS says, with the health service website describing inhaling nicotine vapour from electronic cigs as 'less harmful than smoking'.

Vaping without nicotine still causes potential harm (Getty Stock Images)

But what about vapour that doesn't contain nicotine? For many, they still puff on an e-cig as a placebo for smoking. And on many devices, you can actually lower the nicotine amount you're inhaling.

For anyone doing this, there are still serious dangers to your health. That's according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr Marianne Nabbout, who led the study, and her colleagues sought to identify the acute effects on 'vascular function' of cigarette smoking and the immediate effects of e-cigarette vaping - with and without nicotine.

Vascular function is the medical term for your circulation and how well the body's blood vessels carry oxygen and nutrients to tissues, as well as how efficient it is at removing waste.

You can get liquids with low or no nicotine content in them (Getty Stock Images)

The November 2024 study looked at a total of 31 healthy smokers and vapers ranging in age from 21 to 49 years.

In three separate sessions, study participants underwent two MRI exams, one before and one after smoking a tobacco cigarette, e-cigarette aerosol with nicotine, and e-cigarette aerosol without nicotine.

Following inhalation of each type of vaping or smoking, the study found there was a significant decrease in the resting speed of blood flowing through the superficial femoral artery up and down the leg, supplying blood to the entire lower body.

Vaping is not harm-free (Getty Stock Images)

The decrease in vascular function was most severe after inhalation of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, followed by e-cigarettes without nicotine.

Lowered levels of oxygen in the blood was also present in vapers regardless of whether the e-cigarettes contained nicotine or not.

This suggests an immediate decrease in the uptake of oxygen by the lungs after vaping.

"This study serves to highlight the acute effects smoking and vaping can have on a multitude of vascular beds in the human body," Dr. Nabbout said.

"If the acute consumption of an e-cigarette can have an effect that is immediately manifested at the level of the vessels, it is conceivable that the chronic use can cause vascular disease."

Vascular diseases include aneurysms, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolisms.

Coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease are also vascular diseases, alongside suffering from a stroke and varicose veins.