The link between vaping and serious health problems has been strengthened through new scientific research, with it now directly connected to a common but deadly disease.
Research being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session has analysed the risks associated with e-cigarettes.
The risks associated with vaping are nothing new. And it comes as the UK Government has introduced plans for a first of its kind smoking ban to get people off of 'real' tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars.
A ban on disposable vapes is also being brought in to the UK as a way of stopping children from getting hooked from an early age.
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And while the NHS says vaping is 'substantially less harmful than smoking', it has serious links to health problems according to yet more research in to the topic.
The new research, published on Tuesday (2 April), says that those who vape are significantly more likely to develop heart failure compared with those who have never used them.
Ultimately the research found that there may be an increased risk of heart disease, heightened blood pressure and heart rate, and it could cause several lung-related health issues.
In the United Kingdom, ischaemic heart disease is the biggest killer of men and the second biggest killer of women according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, MD, a resident physician at MedStar Health in Baltimore and the study’s lead author, said: "More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to harmful effects and finding that it might not be as safe as previously thought.
"The difference we saw was substantial. It’s worth considering the consequences to your health, especially with regard to heart health."
The study took place in the United States and tracked the health of 175,667 people who vaped and if they were freshly diagnosed with heart failure.
Of this sample, 3,242 participants developed heart failure within a median follow-up time of 45 months.
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Ultimately the research meant that anyone who has used an electronic cigarette at any time is 19% more likely to develop heart failure compared with people who had never vaped.
"I think this research is long overdue, especially considering how much e-cigarettes have gained traction,” Bene-Alhasan said.
"We don’t want to wait too long to find out eventually that it might be harmful, and by that time a lot of harm might already have been done.
"With more research, we will get to uncover a lot more about the potential health consequences and improve the information out to the public."
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Currently, around 2.3 million people are living in the United Kingdom diagnosed with coronary heart disease.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock ImagesTopics: Health, News, Science, UK News, US News, Vaping, World News, Lifestyle, NHS