Vaping as bad for your heart as smoking

London

Vaping may be as bad for your heart as smoking, according to a new study which suggests that electronic cigarettes are "far more dangerous" than previously thought.

The study involved 24 adult smokers, whose hearts were monitored while they vaped, and when they smoked ordinary cigarettes.

The findings showed that a typical vaping session had a similar impact on stiffness of the aorta — the main artery into the heart — as smoking one regular cigarette.

"We measured aortic stiffness. If the aorta is stiff you multiply your risk of dying, either from heart diseases or from other causes," said Charalambos Vlachopoulos from University of Athens in Greece.

Researchers found that the effects of a 30 minute vaping session were similar to those from smoking a cigarette for five minutes, 'The Telegraph' reported.

According to them, electronic cigarettes may be "far more dangerous" than was thought.

"The aorta is like a balloon next to the heart. The more stiff the balloon is, the more difficult for the heart to pump," said Vlachopoulos.

"It is the most powerful biomarker we have for estimating cardiovascular risk," he added. — PTI