Young men who vape at greater risk for heart disease, two new studies suggest

New studies find that vaping at a young age may increase the risk of heart disease later in life, particularly in men. Although Canada has taken measures to discourage youth from vaping, Canada has one of the highest rates of youth vaping in the world.

Researchers at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), in collaboration with colleagues at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI), have studied vaping products popular with teenagers and examined their effects in the laboratory.

The researchers used mouse models that reflect the types of diseases humans develop over a lifetime and expose these models to e-cigarette aerosols for different periods. Two studies were done to examine the long-term effects of youth vaping.

The first study, BMJ Open Respiratory Research, provided evidence that even short-term use of e-cigarettes can cause significant damage to the lungs.

“In this study, we observed modifications in metabolism, detoxification, and lipid signaling pathways, some of which are associated with the development of heart disease. Thus, we conducted another study, where we saw the development of atherosclerosis, a condition that can cause heart attacks,” says Carolyn Baglole, PhD, a Scientist in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program at the RI-MUHC and a senior author of both studies.

The second study, published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, showed that e-cigarette aerosols produced minimal inflammation in the lungs. However, long-term daily exposure to tobacco-flavoured vape products led to an increase in circulating levels of lipids (fats) and a build-up of plaque in the heart and blood vessels.

“These are important findings as they suggest that vaping could increase your risk of cardiovascular problems like heart attack or stroke, says Koren Mann, PhD, a Senior Scientist at the LDI, Chair of the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Department at McGill, and the other senior author on these studies.

“In both studies, the changes to the lungs and heart were prominently seen in males, which suggests that vaping could disproportionally impact men. This raises significant concerns for the future health of young men who currently vape,” adds Baglole.

The researchers concluded that more research must be done to understand why males are more affected by e-cigarette aerosols. As the popularity of vaping continues to rise, more studies should also be done to understand the effects of disposable vapes and oral nicotine pouches, as well as cannabis-based vaping products, suggest the researchers.

“Due to their recent emergence, we lack data on the risks associated with vaping. Their dazzling popularity among young people should prompt us to investigate their long-term effects, and this is what we will continue to do,” says Baglole.