Vaping reduces cardiovascular and plumonary risks in chronic smokers
Baltimore
Traditional cigarettes kill millions of people across the planet. According to the World Health Organization, it is the number one cause of preventable diseases. Tobacco addiction is responsible for between 25% and 30% of all cardiovascular diseases. When it comes to lung-related illnesses, the number jumps to 85%.
Knowing that tobacco contains over 7,000 chemical substances helps us better understand just how dangerous it is to the human body to light up a cigarette. Tar, mercury, arsenic, hydrogen cyanide and other toxic compounds are inhaled in the lungs, absorbed by the blood, and cause irreversible damage. But what about the electronic cigarette?
At the 58th annual medical conference at the Society of Toxicology in Baltimore, Philip Morris International and Altria (Marlboro) presented their latest study, and the results are very reassuring. In order to evaluate the impact of e-cigarette vapor on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, mice were exposed to traditional cigarette smoke and to an aerosol mimicking electronic cigarette vapor. After six months, the mice exposed to the e-cig vapor only suffered minor damage to their lungs, aorta, and heart tissue. Compared to mice exposed to tobacco smoke, there was a decrease in pulmonary inflation as well as in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques responsible for thrombosis.
Although nicotine is known to increase pulse rate, the research showed that vaping barely increases blood pressure. Finally, unlike tobacco smoke, which contains carbon monoxide, electronic cigarette vapor is free of the chemical and does not affect the oxygenation of the brain.
A solution for quitting tobacco
These encouraging results support the fact that vaping is a highly effective way to help quit smoking. E-cigarettes provide users with nicotine without using toxic chemicals, resulting in a smoke-free product that is proven to help fight tobacco addiction. In a controversial public health headline, Philip Morris International recently declared that electronic cigarettes can even reverse the negative effects of smoking amongst heavy smokers. For people suffering from cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases, this may be a life-saving question, indeed.
Regular vaping with a sufficient dose of nicotine reduces the risk of returning to traditional cigarettes. Perhaps more importantly, it leads to a healthier heart and cleaner lungs.
