WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Exposure to flavored liquid used in electronic cigarettes may exacerbate endothelial cell dysfunction, which often precedes heart disease, a study released Monday showed.
The research, the first of its kind and published in the medical journal Journal of the American College of Cardiology, focused on endothelial cells, which are found in the inner lining of blood vessels, lymph vessels and the heart.
“Our data suggest that the use of electronic cigarettes can lead to acute endothelial dysfunction, which was validated by in vitro exposure to e-liquid (liquid) or serum derived from patients using electronic cigarettes,” explained Joseph C. Wu, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at the School of Medicine of the Stanford University of the United States.
The professor, lead author of the study, said that the use of electronic cigarettes in the United States and around the world “is increasing rapidly with growing concern” on the part of scientists and communities that formulate public health policies.
“Our findings are an important first step to fill this gap by providing mechanical knowledge about how electronic cigarettes cause endothelial dysfunction, which is a major risk factor for the development of heart disease,” he added.
The researchers analyzed endothelial cells created from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-EC) from three healthy individuals.
In addition, five healthy non-smokers, five smokers of active cigarettes, two users of both electronic and conventional cigarettes and two smokers of only electronic cigarettes participated in the study.
All, according to the publication, “were healthy individuals free of other important cardiovascular risk factors” in which the different effects of cigarettes were observed according to taste, which varied between moderate to stronger or toxic.
To know the effects of e-liquids on endothelial cells, the scientists applied to the iPSC-EC a solution of six liquids available on the market with different concentrations of nicotine.
This allowed them to find that flavored liquids had variable effects on cell survival and to observe the presence of proinflammatory markers that, according to the report, can play a critical role in the development of a vascular disease.
According to the publication, a study presented earlier this year at the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology revealed that adults who claim to smoke or vaporize are significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack, coronary heart disease or depression compared to those who do not use these devices or any tobacco product. (EFEUSA)
