Nicotine-free e-cigarettes constricts blood vessels: Study

PHILADELPHIA — New research has found that vaping temporarily is enough to impact the body's blood vessels.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania asked 31 nonsmoking participants to inhale electronic cigarettes 16 times for three seconds each. The e-cigarettes included ingredients such as propylene glycol, glycerol and flavoring, but did not contain any nicotine.

Researchers involved in the study, published in the journal Radiology, took MRI scans of the participants after they vaped. They found that all of the participants' blood vessels in the brain, heart vessels and femoral arteries had become constricted by 30 percent.

In comparison, a separate study from the British Journal of Pharmacology found that smoking cigarettes reduced blood flow by 31 percent.

In a statement emailed to Wired, Juul, an e-cigarette company that controls over 70 percent of the vaping market in the U.S., noted that the study called for the participants to inhale an unrealistic number of times in a short period of time.

This caused a reduction of oxygen flow in the blood vessels by 20 percent.

In an email to Reuters, lead author of the study, Alessandra Caporale from the University's Perelman School of Medicine, explained that the usage of e-cigarettes is not equivalent to inhaling water vapor, even if the e-cigarette does not contain any nicotine.

Caporale said that the impact of vaping on the blood vessels was temporary. Though, she added, long-term effects of vaping could include inflammation and deterioration of blood vessels.

The researchers are planning another study that would take an in-depth look into the impact of vaping on e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers and non-smokers over time, according to Reuters.