E-cigarettes have often been marketed as safer than traditional cigarettes. But concern is growing about the dangers of nicotine-containing e-cigarette devices like JUUL, especially as more and more young people are starting to vape.

A recent study has found that, even when e-cigarette devices don’t contain nicotine, there are still negative effects of e-cigarettes on the heart and cardiovascular system, including damage to users’ blood vessels.

The study, published by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in the medical journal Radiology earlier this month, studied the effects of e-cigarettes without nicotine on 31 adults. The adults who participated were healthy and did not smoke, and were between ages 18 and 35. For the study, they were each asked to take 16 hits from the provided vaping device for a length of 3 seconds each.

According to FoxNews, researchers found that even e-cigarettes without nicotine were capable of causing damage to the blood vessels—an effect that could occur immediately.

“While e-cigarette liquid may be relatively harmless, the vaporization process can transform the molecules—primarily propylene glycol and glycerol—into toxic substances,” according to the study’s principal investigator, Felix W. Wehrli, PhD, who also serves as a professor of Radiologic Science and Biophysics.

“Beyond the harmful effects of nicotine, we’ve shown that vaping has a sudden, immediate effect on the body’s vascular function, and could potentially lead to long-term harmful consequences.”

FoxNews reports that the study’s lead author, Alessandra Caparole, PhD, noted that even when people recognize e-cigarettes with nicotine as harmful, they often don’t view vaping products without nicotine as potentially dangerous.

Indeed, Caparole said, “many e-cigarette users are convinced that they are just inhaling water vapor. But the solvents, flavorings and additives in the liquid base, after vaporization, expose users to multiple insults to the respiratory tract and blood vessels.”

“The common belief is that the nicotine is what is toxic,” Wehrli said to FoxNews, “but we have found that dangerous exist, independent of nicotine. Clearly if there is an effect after a single use of an e-cigarette, then you can imagine what kind of permanent danger could be caused after vaping regularly over years.”

The study’s findings were published just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it its investigating a potential link between a slew of recently reported pulmonary illnesses related to vaping and the effects of e-cigarettes on the heart.

Filing an E-cigarette Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from side effects of e-cigarettes on the heart or lungs, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these complications, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.

Top Class Actions can connect you with an experienced attorney to help you through the litigation process and maximize your compensation.