Research Shows E-Cigarettes Cause Cardiac Arrhythmias

An Anonymous Coward writes:

A new study found that exposure to e-cigarette aerosols can cause heart arrhythmias in animal models:

Exposure to e-cigarette aerosols can cause heart arrhythmias in animal models - both in the form of premature and skipped heart beats. These are the findings of a new study from University of Louisville (UofL) researchers in the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute. Published on October 25 in Nature Communications, the research suggests that exposure to specific chemicals within e-cigarette liquids (e-liquids) promote arrhythmias and cardiac electrical dysfunction.

Our findings demonstrate that short-term exposure to e-cigarettes can destabilize heart rhythm through specific chemicals within e-liquids," said Alex Carll, assistant professor in the UofL Department of Physiology who led the study. These findings suggest that e-cigarette use involving certain flavors or solvent vehicles may disrupt the heart's electrical conduction and provoke arrhythmias. These effects could increase the risk for atrial or ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest."

The cardiac impacts of inhaled e-cigarette aerosols solely from the main two ingredients in e-liquids (nicotine-free propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin) or from flavored retail e-liquids containing nicotine were tested by the scientists. They discovered that for all e-cigarette aerosols, the animals' heart rate slowed during puff exposures and sped up afterwards as heart rate variability declined, indicating fight-or-flight stress responses. Additionally, e-cigarette puffs from a menthol-flavored e-liquid or from propylene glycol alone caused ventricular arrhythmias and other conduction irregularities in the heart.

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