A recent study from George Mason University says that e-cigarettes and cardiovascular health may be linked in a negative way.

George Mason researchers published their study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, concluding that young adults who use both traditional cigarettes and newer e-cigarettes are at a higher risk for stroke.

The study examined data from 2016 and 2017 gathered by the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. Using this data researchers looked at the smoking responses of people between 18 and 44 years of age, with about 161,529 included in this group.

The researchers determined the adjusted stroke risk for people who currently smoke, people who formerly smoked and now use e-cigarettes, and people who use used both. The results reportedly showed that people who use both types of nicotine products are at a higher risk of stroke, although sole e-cigarette users were not at an increased risk of stroke.

According to the researcher’s conclusion, the increased stroke risk could indicate an “additional cerebrovascular effect” due to the ingredients and chemicals used in the products. The researchers emphasized that further research is needed to truly understand the link between e-cigarettes and cardiovascular health.

“It’s long been known that smoking cigarettes is among the most significant risk factors for stroke,” says lead investigator Tarang Parekh said, according to Medical News Today. “Our study shows that young smokers who also use e-cigarettes put themselves at an even greater risk.”

Other Studies On E-Cigarettes and Cardiovascular Health

This is not the first time that researchers have aimed to understand the risks of e-cigarettes. In November 2019, researchers who presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Standards found that e-cigarette usage could result in impacts on cholesterol and blood flow.

One study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the FDA, found that cholesterol levels were negatively affected by e-cigarette use. The study examined 476 non-smokers and e-cigarette users and found that total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol were higher in sole e-cigarette users when compared to non-smokers.

“Although primary care providers and patients may think that the use of e-cigarettes by cigarette smokers makes heart health sense, our study shows e-cigarette use is also related to differences in cholesterol levels. The best option is to use FDA-approved methods to aid in smoking cessation, along with behavioral counseling,” study author Sana Majid of Boston University School of Medicine during the oral presentation.

The other study, funded by the California State Tobacco-related Disease Research Program High Impact Pilot Research Award, found that cardiac blood flow was influenced by smoking e-cigarettes. In people who used e-cigarettes, blood flow reportedly decreased both after inhalation at rest and during a handgrip stress exercise.

“We were surprised by our observation of the heart’s blood flow being reduced at rest, even in the absence of stress, following inhalation from the e-cigarette,” Susan Cheng, co-author and director of Public Health Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said.

This was reportedly worse than people who smoked traditional cigarettes. These participants reportedly saw increased blood flow after inhalation and decreased blood flow with stress.

“Providers counseling patients on the use of nicotine products will want to consider the possibility that e-cigs may confer as much and potentially even more harm to users and especially patients at risk for vascular disease,” Cheng noted.