In the past, a number of studies have linked tobacco use to heart disease, or rather the active ingredient nicotine. A new study showing that nicotine contributes to a higher risk of developing heart disease, also found that e-cigarettes are not good for the heart, CNN reports.
At the American Society of Cell Biology, researchers reported that human and rat heart cells exposed to nicotine showed changes after only six hours.
“These findings suggest that e-cigarettes, the battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine in steam without the carcinogenic agents of tobacco smoke, may not significantly reduce smokers’ risk for heart disease,” researcher Chi-Ming Hai, PhD, of Brown University, said in a news release.
If one turns to e-cigarettes to assist them in quitting smoking it should be temporary. Long term use of e-cigarettes may be equally detrimental to the heart. Using e-cigarettes indoors may expose other people to the nicotine as well.
