Vaping, or the act of inhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette device, has become incredibly popular in recent years. Many people view vaping as a safer alternative to traditional cigarette smoking. But is vaping truly safe, or does it also carry risks and side effects? One major area of concern is the potential effect of vaping on organs and organ systems in the body. In this article, we’ll explore what the current research says about how vaping may impact the lungs, heart, brain, liver, and other vital body parts and processes.
Does vaping affect the lungs?
Research strongly indicates that vaping can adversely affect lung health in several ways:
Vaping damages lung cells
Numerous studies show exposure to vaping aerosols and flavoring chemicals causes oxidative stress and inflammation in lung cells, damaging their structure and function. One study found vaping just once significantly reduced blood flow and vasodilation in the lungs, impairing tissue repair.
Vaping worsens asthma
The respiratory irritants in vaping liquids are known asthma triggers. Studies show vaping promotes inflammation in the airways and worsens asthma control in teens and young adults who vape.
Vaping increases pneumonia risk
Pneumonia occurs when lungs fill with fluid, impairing oxygen flow. Chemicals in vaping liquids suppress the immune system and increase vulnerability to pneumonia in multiple animal studies. Nicotine also impairs the lungs’ ability to clear out pneumonia bacteria.
Vaping contributes to lung disease
Many chemical constituents of vaping liquids are linked to chronic lung conditions like COPD when inhaled. Flavoring additives like diacetyl specifically cause a form of lung disease known as “popcorn lung.” There are also cases of young vapers developing severe, sometimes fatal lung illnesses requiring lung transplants.
Vaping may cause lung cancer
While more long-term research is needed, some chemicals present in vaping aerosols, like formaldehyde, are known human carcinogens. One study estimates vapers may have a 9-fold higher lung cancer risk compared to non-smokers.
Does vaping affect the cardiovascular system?
Evidence suggests vaping could negatively impact the heart and blood vessels in multiple ways:
Vaping stiffens arteries
One study found just one vaping episode significantly increases arterial stiffness and blood pressure – two major risk factors for heart disease. The effect is similar to that caused by smoking. Chronic vaping could increase cardiovascular risk.
Vaping triggers heart attacks
Multiple case reports document heart attacks occurring shortly after vaping, even in young healthy adults. Lab studies suggest nicotine and other vaping chemicals reduce blood flow to the heart muscle and increase clotting, which can trigger heart attacks.
Vaping may cause vascular disease
Chemicals in vaping liquids cause oxidative damage to blood vessel lining cells and impair their function in laboratory studies. This promotes inflammation in arteries and atherosclerotic plaque buildup – the hallmark of coronary artery disease.
Vaping worsens heart failure
One study found e-cig vapor contains particulates small enough to penetrate lung tissue and enter the bloodstream, where it impairs the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. Vaping worsens heart failure in those with existing cardiac dysfunction.
Does vaping affect the brain and mental health?
Research indicates vaping may negatively impact the brain and mental health:
Vaping may reduce blood flow to the brain
Nicotine constricts blood vessels, and studies show just a few puffs of an e-cig reduces blood flow to the brain. Over time, chronic reductions in brain blood flow can impair cognitive function.
Vaping is linked to stroke
By reducing blood flow while increasing clotting, vaping significantly raises the risk of stroke – including in younger adults not considered high-risk. Studies link e-cig use to a 2-fold higher chance of stroke compared to non-use.
Vaping may cause brain cell damage
Animal studies show chemicals in vaping liquids promote inflammation in brain cells, altering their metabolism in ways that lead to DNA and tissue damage. Human studies are needed to confirm effects.
Vaping increases depression/anxiety risk
A large study found teens who vape are 2-3 times more likely to develop depression and anxious symptoms compared to non-vapers. Nicotine exposure may alter brain pathways regulating mood.
Vaping can lead to addiction
The nicotine in e-cigs is highly addictive – some research estimates vapers may become dependent even faster than cigarette smokers. Flavorings enhance the addictiveness of nicotine. Vaping addiction makes quitting very difficult.
Does vaping affect the liver?
A growing body of research indicates potential liver damage from vaping:
Vaping causes fat buildup in liver cells
Studies show vaping chemicals like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin cause fat accumulation and impaired metabolism in liver cells. This can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Vaping worsens NAFLD fibrosis
In subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), studies find vaping worsens liver fibrosis and cell death compared to non-vapers. It accelerates progression of NAFLD to cirrhosis and liver failure.
Vaping may increase liver cancer risk
Chemicals used in vaping liquids, like formaldehyde, are known carcinogens. Studies suggest vapers have higher concentrations of carcinogenic compounds in their urine. More research is needed on vaping and liver cancer.
Vaping impairs detoxification
The liver filters toxins from the blood. However, studies show vaping impairs expression of genes involved in toxin breakdown and detoxification. This causes buildup of harmful chemicals in the body.
Does vaping affect the immune system?
Research indicates vaping alters the immune system and its response in several ways:
Vaping suppresses immune genes
Analyses show significant down-regulation of genes integral to proper immune function in the nasal mucosa and lungs of otherwise healthy young vapers compared to non-vapers.
Vaping increases inflammation
Chronic vaping promotes systemic inflammation, as indicated by heightened inflammatory biomarkers in the blood of e-cig users compared to controls. Inflammation impairs immune defenses.
Vaping worsens respiratory infections
The inflammatory chemicals in vaping aerosols damage lung cells, which impairs immune function in the respiratory tract. Studies show vaping increases severity of respiratory infections like influenza and COVID-19.
Vaping may raise autoimmunity risk
Some studies note e-cig users have increased circulating autoantibodies – markers of autoimmune disease. Nicotine may promote autoreactivity. More research is needed on vaping and autoimmunity.
Does vaping affect wound healing and recovery from surgery?
There is some evidence vaping can negatively impact the body’s ability to heal from wounds and recover from surgery:
Vaping slows wound healing
Nicotine and vaping chemicals reduce blood flow to injured tissues. In animal studies, vaping worsens tissue death and healing time after skin wounds. Human research is still limited in this area.
Vaping prolongs surgical recovery
Similar to its effects on wound healing, vaping can prolong recovery after surgery. Human studies find vapers are more likely to experience post-surgical complications like infections and impaired incision healing.
Vaping may increase pain after surgery
By increasing inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body, some research finds vaping can worsen post-surgical pain compared to non-vapers. More human studies are needed for confirmation.
Vaping raises the risk of complications under anesthesia
The respiratory irritants in vaping aerosols make airway management more difficult under anesthesia. Vaping within 2 weeks of surgery markedly increases the risk of breathing problems during intubation.
Does vaping affect pregnancy and fertility?
Concerns have been raised over vaping’s impact on reproductive health:
Vaping may impair male fertility
Rat studies show the nicotine in e-cigs causes decreased testosterone, sperm count, and sperm motility. Chemicals in vaping liquids also damage sperm DNA integrity. These effects could translate to reduced fertility in men.
Vaping raises the risk of birth defects
Nicotine and other vaping chemicals readily cross the placenta, causing oxidative stress and altering development in the fetus. Case reports link vaping during pregnancy to birth defects and other poor outcomes.
Vaping increases the risk of premature delivery
The chemicals in e-cigs constrict blood vessels, which can impair oxygen flow to the fetus. Studies associate vaping during pregnancy with a 2-fold higher rate of preterm delivery compared to not vaping.
Vaping may impair female fertility
While more research is needed, some animal studies indicate the chemicals in vaping liquids cause hormonal disruption, altered ovarian function, and toxicity to maturing oocytes that could negatively impact female fertility if confirmed in humans.
Conclusion
In summary, current research strongly indicates vaping can adversely affect many major organ systems and processes in the body. Vaping is linked to lung damage, heart disease, stroke, mental health disorders, liver disease, impaired immunity, delayed wound healing, and reproductive harm. While more long-term, large-scale human studies are needed to firmly establish cause-and-effect, the existing evidence overwhelmingly suggests vaping is far from harmless and may pose serious risks to multiple aspects of health. Anyone considering vaping should be aware of its many potential dangers, especially on vital organs in the body.