E‑cigarettes have long been marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, but the results of a three-year University of Alberta study suggest vaping may actually be more harmful.
“We now know that early-life exposure to toxins can impair lung growth and predispose people to future lung disease,” said Michael Stickland, a researcher and professor of pulmonary medicine at the University of Alberta.
He’s part of a U of A team that studied 20 e‑cigarette users in their early 20s over about three years. None had previously smoked traditional cigarettes or marijuana.
During the study, participants underwent a series of cardiovascular stress tests.
“We had them exercise at an intensity equivalent to a moderate walk, and yet they reported much greater breathlessness than you’d expect in a 22- or 23‑year‑old,” he said.
While standard clinical lung tests did not show abnormalities, Stickland said more detailed analysis revealed subtle but important reductions in blood flow and exercise tolerance.
“What was quite surprising is these 23‑year‑old individuals had normal lung function, yet they showed marked exercise intolerance and greater breathlessness,” he said.
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Researchers found early lung impairments, including reduced blood flow, as well as heart dysfunction that could lead to more serious complications in the future.
It’s alarming data in light of about one million Canadians vaping regularly, Stickland said.
“Teens and young adults who don’t normally use traditional cigarettes are now vaping or using these electronic cigarettes,” Stickland said.
While the human body reaches its maximum height in the late teenage years, other parts continue to develop into early adulthood. Stickland said the lungs do not fully mature until about age 25.
“What we’ve now done is expose a whole new generation to potentially toxic substances being inhaled through the lungs.”
Researchers also found damage appeared much sooner than would typically be seen in cigarette smokers.
“I’m a dad of two teenagers, and when I saw this, I was quite concerned,” Stickland said.
The University of Alberta team is now partnering with researchers at the University of British Columbia on a larger study to track e‑cigarette use and lung function over three years.
“Locally, we’re also going to study blood flow in the lungs to try to understand what’s changed and what might lead to more serious lung disease in the future,” Stickland said.
As if non-carcinogenic vapor is more dangerous than the formaldehyde, benzene, arsenic, tar and 70+ carcinogens found in cigarette smoke. Get real. I’m not saying vaping is safe by any means, but it’s sure AF not *more* dangerous than smoking. This “study” reads like a tobacco ad.
One of the ingredients in e‑cigarettes is Propylene glycol, a chemical used to lower the freezing point of water in engines, plumbing, and heating systems. Engine antifreeze! You may as well drink battery acid to go with your ‘vape’.
@Chris, Im with you on this 100%. This title feels very “click-bait” heavy to me, not much actual info in the article and no reference to any kind of control group testing. From what I can see this is research paper based on expected results with one test group, bit of a far cry to declare “vaping is worse than cigarettes” from what I’ve seen.
Another nothing post from global..
“Vaping causes lung and heart damage faster than cigarettes, U of A research suggests” — This is a powerful headline and should be backed up by clear study findings in the article. However, I do not see sufficient evidence in the article to support this claim.
“Researchers also found damage appeared much sooner than would typically be seen in cigarette smokers.” Okay, but where is the data? This one-liner is essentially the basis of your headline, but it needs more support.
My concern is that a headline like this could potentially lead younger people to transition to traditional cigarettes instead. Is that what we want?
aka freshman forty
sit on your ar se for 4 years do nothing but eat drink and hibernate in classrooms
People believed cigarettes weren’t harmful it took decades to find out they were so why be surprised when in the future vaping will be found to be harmful. Inhaling anything other than air into your lungs is not good for you and will cause problems for a lot of people in the future. Governments allow things to be sold without testing all the time and then try and deal with the consequences later.
Show us the study and its results, without it, you’re blowing as much smoke as a vapehole.
And sucking smoke into your lungs from pot is still considered safe by these clowns. Hypocrisy continues I see.
Was this one of those new age studies where the conclusion was written before the work is even commenced?
common sense , all the vapers will be dropping like fly’s to raid
@Ron
Do you think it is good for you or something? You going to wait 20 years for ecig companies to come clean?
It makes sense to me, and I’m glad someone is investigating – even on a small scale. And good on Global for reporting locally instead doing their usual schilling for Ozempic
One doctor, 20 subjects and headlines in the media?
Used to be unless you were published in a medical journal and reviewed by peers, then the media accepted the findings.