Fresh concerns have been raised about e-cigarettes after new research found the devices may slow down your heart rate.
Aerosols found in the trendy gadgets led to bradycardia – which can be life-threatening and trigger a cardiac arrest – in mice, scientists discovered.
The damage was similar to that of traditional cigarettes, which scientists have tried to coax the public out of smoking for decades.
The findings, made by researchers at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, are the latest to delve into the dangers of e-cigarettes.
Aerosols found in the trendy gadgets triggered bradycardia – which can be life-threatening – in mice, scientists discovered
It follows two recent worrying studies which linked the gadgets, often used to help smokers quit, to heart disease – the world’s leading killer.
Although thought to be considerably safer than tobacco cigarettes, studies have also linked long-term use of e-cigarettes to cancer.
The new study, which exposed mice to e-cigarettes and tobacco products, back up repeated claims that it can lead to heart disease.
Researchers said their evidence suggest the use of e-cigarettes ‘may increase risks of arrhythmia and overall cardiovascular disease’.
What’s in e-cigarettes?
The researchers blamed the damning findings on propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin – two aerosols found in e-cigarettes.
They found that when both of these are heated, they produce acrolein which then can induce bradycardia for the rodents.
Breathing in traditional cigarette smoke also triggered the same reaction as being exposed to the aerosols in the mice.
The new study sheds light on the health effects of inhaling the substances, which before now were relatively unknown.
Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde were also released the e-cigarettes were heated. Both are linked to heart and lung disease.
The new research, led by Dr Daniel Conklin, was presented at the 2017 American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Anaheim.
More robust studies are needed to thoroughly investigate the lasting effects of e-cigarettes on humans, the scientists warned.
Bradycardia: The facts
In humans, bradycardia can be especially lethal for pensioners and can cause an insufficient supply of blood to the brain.
This tends to cause feelings of fatigue, dizziness, confusion or fainting. In some cases, it can trigger a fatal cardiac arrest.
Sufferers are often given pacemakers to correct their heart’s rhythm and to make sure they pump enough blood around the body.
Previous research from UCLA has proven that e-cigarettes can cause lifelong damage to one’s heart.
And a report from West Virginia University also found that one puff of an e-cigarette is all it takes to increase one’s risk of having a heart attack.