LAUSR

The use of e-cigarettes likely poses a risk to heart health based on emerging data that suggest it increases cardiovascular risk factors. E-cigarettes are often promoted as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes or even as a cessation tool. The perception that these devices are safer than cigarettes has led to a surge in their use. A 2016 report from the US Surgeon General, for example, noted that 1 in 6 teens now uses e-cigarettes, even as use of traditional cigarettes has dropped in this age group. This has canceled out some of the gains in reducing youth use of nicotine-containing products, explained Holly R. Middlekauff, MD, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles. > “People who wouldn’t have used tobacco products in the past are using e-cigarettes now probably because they think they are harmless,” she said. However, limited data are available on the health effects of e-cigarettes, particularly the long-term effects of exposure, which could take decades to fully understand. Preliminary studies, however, have suggested that e-cigarette use may cause cardiovascular system changes that have been linked to increased cardiovascular risk. > “The main message is they are not harmless,” Middlekauf said. Preliminary studies suggest that e-cigarettes may be associated with heart risks. In an e-cigarette, nicotine is heated …