While e-cigarettes are believed to be less hazardous to your health than conventional tobacco a new study reveals vaping may still pose a considerable risk.
Swedish scientists have found that inhaling nicotine using e-cigarettes could stiffen users' arteries and increase their heart rates and blood pressure.
Fifteen volunteers, who had never vaped before, were recruited by the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
The experiment found that half an hour after inhaling nicotine vapour from the e-cigarettes there was a marked increase in blood pressure, heart rate and arterial stiffness.
No such effect was observed in the volunteers who inhaled from e-cigarettes which did not contain the nicotine vapour, reports The Mirror .
Dr Magnus Lundback, of the Karolinska Institute, said: "The results are preliminary, but in this study we found there was a significant increase in heart rate and blood pressure in the volunteers who were exposed to e-cigarettes containing nicotine.
"Arterial stiffness increased around three-fold in those who were exposed to nicotine containing e-cigarettes compared to the nicotine-free group."
Dr Lundback said: "The number of e-cigarette users has increased dramatically in the last few years. E-cigarettes are regarded by the general public as almost harmless.
"The e-cigarette industry markets their product as a way to reduce harm and to help people to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes.
"However, the safety of e-cigarettes is debated, and a growing body of evidence is suggesting several adverse health effects."
While the effects seen in the tests were temporary, Dr Lundback said that chronic exposure to e-cigarettes with nicotine could cause permanent effects on arterial stiffness in the long term.
