A UCLA medical study suggests that one session on a vape instantly increases disease risk for nonsmokers.
LOS ANGELES — Tobacco and electronic cigarettes can pose risks to regular smokers’ health. However, a new study by medical researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that vaping can affect the cells of healthy younger nonsmokers after the first puff. In fact, according to the researchers, the speed of the effects is noteworthy.
“Over time, this imbalance can play a significant role in causing certain illnesses, including cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological diseases, as well as cancer,” said Dr. Holly Middlekauff, a professor of cardiology and physiology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Middlekauff is the primary author of the study, published in JAMA Medicine.
The study shows that a single 30-minute “vaping session” can significantly increase “cellular oxidative stress.” This stress occurs when the human body has an imbalance between molecules that can cause damage to the cells. Middlekauff’s research demonstrates that vaping is associated with several adverse changes in the body that can lead to potential health problems in the future.
“We were surprised by the gravity of the effect that one vaping session can have on healthy young people,” Middlekauff said. “This brief vaping session was not dissimilar to what they may experience at a party, yet the effects were dramatic.”
According to UCLA, the research findings attempt to undercut the hypothesis that electronic cigarettes and other ENDS devices are a safer alternative to regular cigarettes.
Unfortunately, the study considers that someone is likely to initiate the use of an electronic cigarette for the first time ever. The consideration for smokers who use electronic cigarettes as an off-ramp from combustible cigarettes is missing.
Remember, several other public health institutions recognize vaping as a consumer-oriented risk reduction strategy.
Public Health England, the UK’s CDC, still maintains that regulated electronic cigarettes are up to 95 percent safer than traditional cigarettes.