Does Vaping Cause High Blood Pressure?

Most people know that smoking cigarettes is harmful to their health. The American Heart Association warns that conventional cigarettes affect nearly every organ system in the body, including vital organs such as the heart and lungs.

In recent years, electronic vaping cigarettes have emerged as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular, especially among high school students and young adults. Many young people have started vaping without fully understanding the health risks of this habit.

This article aims to summarize what the evidence shows about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes and long-term vaping, specifically vaping and blood pressure.

Does vaping 0 mg nicotine raise blood pressure?

When cigarette smokers attempt to quit their nicotine addiction, many turn to vaping as a healthier alternative. However, nicotine is present both in regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Nicotine is not only a toxic chemical but also a highly addictive one. It causes smokers to experience cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine is also implicated in raising blood pressure and heart rate and increasing a smoker’s risk of a heart attack.

So, is vaping 0 mg nicotine safe? The truth is that there are many unknowns about e-cigarettes. There are thousands of other chemicals in e-cigarette vapor besides nicotine, most of which are still unidentified. It is unclear how these chemicals affect heart rate and blood pressure and the risk of coronary heart disease.

Therefore, while e-cigarette use is an appealing alternative to conventional cigarette smoking, it still puts you at risk of increased heart rate and blood pressure and a higher chance of suffering a heart attack than non-smokers.

Vape users should understand that e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous to their health. Besides cardiovascular disease and heart health, there is emerging evidence linking vaping to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and lung cancer.

In a nutshell, when you use an electronic cigarette, you expose yourself to all kinds of chemicals, the effects of which we don’t fully understand and which are probably not safe.

How do e-cigarettes affect heart health?

Clinical research has shown that e-cigarettes can cause oxidative stress, mutations, dysfunction of heart cells, inflammation of the blood vessels, dysfunction of the endothelium (inner lining of the blood vessels), vasospasm (narrowing of the blood vessels), aggregation of platelets and increased risk of blood clots, hypertension (high blood pressure), tachycardia (increased heart rate), stiffening of the arteries, atherosclerosis (cholesterol deposition in the arteries), and increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack).

However, the effects of e-cigarettes on heart health are notably less intense than smoking conventional cigarettes.

How long after vaping does blood pressure go down?

Research studies have found that blood pressure remains elevated for around 30 minutes after ingesting nicotine through an e-cigarette. More research is needed, but we know that the acute effects on heart rate and blood pressure are significant, especially in people with pre-existing hypertension (high blood pressure). Given that e-cigarette users have an average of 20 inhalations a day, the effect of e-cigarettes raising blood pressure for 30 minutes becomes even more relevant.

Notably, some studies have shown that the acute increase in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate dilutes over time, which means that a person may adapt over time and not experience increased blood pressure to the same degree as initially.

Which is worse for blood pressure: Vaping or smoking traditional cigarettes?

The evidence suggests that electronic cigarettes increase overall cardiovascular risk but probably represent a lesser evil than traditional tobacco products.

Experts warn that to optimize heart health, the goal should be to abstain from all tobacco and nicotine products.

What are the risks of using vape products?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported nearly 3,000 cases of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and almost 70 deaths from this condition.

The risk of EVALI is higher in people who modify vaping devices or obtain e-liquids from unauthorized sources. Vaping products that contain THC are particularly dangerous. The CDC has also identified another concerning chemical, vitamin E acetate, a thickening agent in THC vaping products that has been linked to EVALI.

Should you use electronic cigarettes (vaping) to quit smoking?

Quitting smoking can help to treat high blood pressure and improve overall health. But many cigarette smokers quit and turn to electronic cigarettes instead (e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other disposable and non-disposable vaping devices).

This seems like an easy way to transition from tobacco cigarettes to complete abstinence. But experts do not advise smoking e-cigarettes or vaping while attempting to quit tobacco products.

While e-cigarettes expose you to fewer harmful chemicals than smoking traditional cigarettes, they are not the best way to quit smoking. E-cigarette users can get even higher doses of nicotine than traditional cigarettes through extra-strength cartridges or by increasing the voltage on the device to get a bigger hit. E-cigarettes and vape pens are linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, EVALI, and other health issues.

Keep in mind that e-cigs are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved smoking cessation devices. The CDC does not advise people to use e-cigarettes to kick a nicotine habit. Talk to your doctor about a safe and effective smoking cessation program if you want to stop smoking once and for all.

References: