Health
Severe health risks of vaping and e-cigarettes, especially for youth, say experts
Vaping, the practice of inhaling and exhaling aerosol from an e-cigarette, has emerged as a trend, especially among teenagers and young adults.
While the full impact of e-cigarettes on mental and physical health is still to be determined, current research indicates potential health risks.
What exactly is vaping?
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Vaping devices, which include e-cigarettes, e-vaporizers and electronic nicotine delivery systems, are battery-operated devices originally designed as an alternative to the experience of traditional smoking.
Users inhale an aerosol mist — often containing nicotine, various flavorings and other chemicals — produced when the liquid inside the device is heated. These devices come in various forms, sometimes resembling everyday items such as pens, traditional cigarettes, USB memory sticks or even juice boxes.
In teenagers and young adults, the brain is still developing. Exposure to nicotine can lead to attention, learning, behavioral and impulse control problems. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
The term “vaping” arises from transforming liquid to vapor when the user puffs on the device.
Other terms associated with vaping include “dripping,” manually applying e-liquid to the heated coils, and “JUULing,” a term referring to the JUUL brand of e-cigarettes.
Fox News Digital reached out to JUUL, based in San Francisco, for comment for this article. While the company responded, it opted not to provide a statement at this time.
Initially designed as tools to pursue smoking cessation and to act as an alternative, e-cigarettes began to grow in popularity as an enjoyable experience, especially with the flavorings available and the concealability.
Appeal of e-cigarettes for adolescents
In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted an e-cigarette epidemic among youth, based on a 78% increase in use from the previous year among high school students recorded by the National Youth Tobacco Survey.
A primary reason that e-cigarettes appeal to the younger generations is their accessibility.
Young adults aged 18 to 24 are the most frequent users of e-cigarettes. Data also shows that among the 11- to 15-year-old age group, 9% reported having tried vaping, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A primary reason that e-cigarettes appeal to the younger generations is their accessibility, according to the Rehabilitation Nursing Journal.
Other reasons listed for their appeal include the targeted marketing, enticing flavors, social media influence and the belief that they are safer than the traditional alternative of regular cigarettes.
Health risks of vaping
The adolescent years are a critical time for brain development, which continues until about the age of 25, according to physiological studies.
Vaping can lead to lung irritation and has been linked to respiratory problems, such as coughing, wheezing and asthma. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
During this time, the prefrontal cortex — a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control — is particularly vulnerable to external influences.
Introducing nicotine through vaping can disrupt the development of neuronal circuits, which could lead to changes in brain function. In particular, nicotine exposure can desensitize the brain’s receptors, which would make it more difficult for an individual to experience pleasure without increased nicotine use.
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Nicotine’s effect on the brain also impacts the reward system, because it increases dopamine release, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This change can be particularly harmful during the developmental stage, as the ongoing maturation of the brain is essential to establishing healthy cognitive and behavioral patterns for adulthood.
Other negative effects of nicotine use, especially in youth, as has been widely reported, include:
Respiratory issues
The use of e-cigarettes has been correlated with lung injury, according to a CDC update providing guidance to health care providers.
A specific and severe lung condition, E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI), has been directly linked to the use of vapes.
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The flavors added to the cartridge have been implicated as a possible factor related to respiratory issues, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Nicotine and other chemicals found in e-cigarettes can have harmful effects on the heart and the rest of the cardiovascular system. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Chemicals such as benzaldehyde and diacetyl are especially concerning due to their association with lung damage, according to the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA).
Cardiovascular health
A study conducted by JAMA Cardiology found that the same negative impacts on the cardiovascular health of traditional cigarette smokers were seen in habitual e-cigarette users as well.
Additionally, those who “used e-cigarettes at any point” had a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure, according to a study by the American College of Cardiology.
Chemical exposure
Inhalation of chemicals found in e-cigarette liquids is known to be especially harmful to adolescents, according to the American Lung Association.
Propylene glycol, a key ingredient in many vaping products, has been associated with several health issues.
Exposure to propylene glycol may be a contributing root cause of conditions such as rhinitis, asthma and dry mouth, according to JAAPA.
Moreover, when vaporized, propylene glycol can decompose into formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, irritating the eyes, nose, throat, upper respiratory tract and skin.
A pharmacist named Hon Lik invented the first vape in 2003. He originally invented the device to help smokers quit the habit. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Concerns about the safety of these substances are manifested by a lack of regulation in the vaping industry.
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“The pharmacologically active components of vaping products are not regulated, and the methods by which they are extracted and suspended in solution vary greatly … The risk profiles of these inhaled chemical mixtures change significantly depending upon the method by which they are vaporized or heated,” cautions the Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association.
How do e-cigarettes compare to traditional cigarettes?
It was not until 2016 that the Food and Drug Administration began to regulate e-cigarettes, as reported by the Rehabilitation Nursing Journal.
With this regulatory shift, the items became subject to similar restrictions as tobacco products, including the age requirement for purchase of 18 years old.
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Highlighting the consequences of vaping, 22-year-old Jackson Allard shared his experience as a caution to youth who are considering vaping, as Fox News previously reported.
Likely as a result of his vaping habit, Allard developed parainfluenza, which led to pneumonia and then acute respiratory distress syndrome; he nearly lost his life.
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His grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, frequently warned him against the habit, she said.
“Multiple doctors said, ‘If you smoke cigarettes for 50 years, we’ll see you with lung cancer, and if you vape for five years, we’ll see you with permanent lung damage,’” Hurlburt told Fox News.
Mills Hays of Fox News contributed reporting.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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