E-cigarettes are not safe as people think.
In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal BMC Public HealthResearchers examined the link between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI, or heart attack) and stroke.
For decades, cigarette smoking has been recognized as a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
In response, the tobacco industry introduced electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), commonly called e-cigarettes or “vapes,” and promoted them as harm reduction tools to facilitate smoking cessation.
The current study addressed this gap using a systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA), conducted in accordance with the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Conventional cigarette smoking was treated as an important confounder and subgroup variable.
Analysis showed that people who used e-cigarettes had 53% higher odds of MI compared to non-users.
Specifically, among former cigarette smokers who currently use e-cigarettes, the risk of having a heart attack was more than doubled.
These findings raise concerns about the cardiovascular safety of e-cigarettes and indicate that they should not be assumed to be risk-free alternatives, especially when it comes to cigarettes.
This systematic review suggested that e-cigarette use is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, especially among individuals with a history of cigarette smoking.
Although exclusive vaping among never smokers was not associated with a statistically significant cardiovascular risk in this analysis, the increased risk among former smokers raises concerns about the use of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction tool.
