E-Cigarettes Linked to 19% Higher Risk of Heart Failure, Study Finds

A recent study suggests that people who use e-cigarettes face a significantly higher risk of developing heart failure.

The results of this study have not yet been published in a journal, even though they were presented at a recent American Heart Association meeting.

Heart failure is a condition where the heart fails to perform its function due to various complex reasons, which can be caused by factors such as high blood pressure, congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. 64 million people worldwide are suffering from heart failure, according to the estimated data.

Heart failure is known to lead to a decrease in heart function, creating a vicious cycle. Once heart failure sets in, the heart induces changes in its function to reduce the burden on itself, which can lead to more severe heart failure. Therefore, experts emphasize the importance of controlling and preventing risk factors for heart failure in advance.

The research team analyzed electronic medical records and survey data from approximately 175,000 American adults in a National Institutes of Health study.

The analysis showed that people who have used e-cigarettes at any point in their lives had a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure than those who have never used them.

The authors are informed that this result is not surprising since numerous previous studies have already hinted at the risks of e-cigarette use. Specifically, animal studies have shown that e-cigarettes can reduce the contraction and relaxation of the heart, which is a change observed in heart failure.

The research team reported the increased risk of developing heart failure, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (a condition where the heart’s pumping function is normal, but the stiffness of the heart muscle increases, preventing enough blood from filling the heart during relaxation), due to e-cigarette use was statistically significant.

The authors emphasized the importance of knowing potential risk factors that can cause this type of heart failure and intervening in advance to prevent it.