E-cigarette smoking can lead to sudden cardiac arrest

Short-term exposure to e-cigarettes can destabilize the heart rhythm through exposure to certain chemicals in smoking liquids and lead to sudden cardiac arrest. The University of Louisville researchers published their findings in Nature Communications.

In the process, the experts studied vaping liquids consisting of the two most popular options - propylene glycol without nicotine and vegetable glycerin or flavored liquid with nicotine. The authors found that when all types of aerosols were inhaled, the heart rate of the mice slowed during the "puff" and then accelerated along with a decrease in heart rate variability.

In addition, menthol-flavored or propylene glycol-only fluids caused ventricular arrhythmias and other conduction abnormalities in the heart. These effects can increase the risk of atrial or ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest.

Vaping can help you gradually quit smoking, and compared to regular cigarettes, vaping exposes smokers and others to small amounts of carbon monoxide, tar and carcinogenic nitrosamines. However, aldehyde and nicotine levels can remain at levels comparable to regular cigarettes.