Vaping e-liquids can disrupt heart’s rhythm, ‘highly concerning’ study suggests

Vaping e-cigarette liquids with certain ingredients can cause cardiac arrhythmias that could increase the risk of heart attacks, a new study has suggested.

Research has found that exposure to certain chemicals in e-liquids can cause heart arrhythmias – both premature and skipped heartbeats – and cardiac electrical dysfunction in animals.

Scientists believe the chemicals can be just as dangerous to humans and could increase the risks of cardiac arrests.

The researchers tested the effects of e-liquids made from nicotine-free propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) – humectants that make vapour clouds, or from flavoured ones containing nicotine.

They found that for all e-cigarette aerosols, the animals’ heart rates slowed during exposure and sped up afterwards, as heart rate variability declined. Scientists say this change in speed indicates a fight-or-flight stress response.

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Puffs of menthol-flavoured e-liquids, or PG-based ones alone, caused abnormal heartbeats and other cardiac electrical dysfunctions.

Study lead Alex Carll, assistant professor in the University of Louisville’s Department of Physiology, said: “Our findings demonstrate that short-term exposure to e-cigarettes can destabilise heart rhythm through specific chemicals within e-liquids.

“These findings suggest that e-cigarette use involving certain flavours or solvent vehicles may disrupt the heart’s electrical conduction and provoke arrhythmias.

“These effects could increase the risk for atrial or ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest.”

The study was conducted in collaboration with Daniel Conklin and Aruni Bhatnagar, professors in the UofL Division of Environmental Medicine.

Prof Bhatnagar said: “The findings of this study are important because they provide fresh evidence that the use of e-cigarettes could interfere with normal heart rhythms – something we did not know before.

“This is highly concerning given the rapid growth of e-cigarette use, particularly among young people.”

Although vaping has been considered to be a “safer” alternative to traditional cigarettes – as it doesn’t expose users to carbon monoxide, tar, or cancer-causing nitrosamines – using e-cigarettes can expose vapers to aldehydes – such as formaldehyde, particles and nicotine at levels comparable to combustible cigarettes.

Additional research by Prof Carll and Matthew Nystoriak, an associate professor of medicine at UofL, to determine the effects of vape flavourings on the heart has recently received $3.6 million in research funding from the US government body National Institutes of Health.