Researchers discover the influence of e-cigarettes containing nicotine on the body

Sep, 2021 - By WMR

Nicotine is proven to raise levels of hormones like adrenaline in the body, which can lead to an increase in blood clot formation.

According to a study published at the European Respiratory Society International Congress, using e-cigarettes having nicotine, causes an instant increase in the development of blood clots and a decline in the capacity of tiny blood vessels to expand and widen, and increases blood pressure and heart rate. These consequences are identical to those caused by normal cigarettes, according to researchers, and long-term use might result in a stroke or heart attack. Gustaf Lyytinen, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, reported the study. He and his team conducted extensive research on a sample of 22 men and women aged 18 to 45 all of whom were irregular smokers and also healthy.

Every participant was examined before and after smoking 30 drags from an e-cigarette containing nicotine, as well as before and after smoking 30 drags from an e-cigarette with no nicotine. The two sets of trials were performed with one week apart on separate days. The researchers took a blood sample and evaluated the participants' blood pressure and heart rate before they smoked the e-cigarettes, then 15 minutes later and around 60 minutes later. Researchers also conducted tests to examine if smoking e-cigarettes had any effect on circulation of blood through the body's blood capillaries before and after.

When the results of the trials were compared, the researchers observed that using nicotine containing e-cigarettes caused a sequence of acute short-term changes in the participants. Dr. Lyytinen and his team revealed a 23 % rise in blood clots after 15 minutes, which returned to regular after 60 minutes. The participants' blood pressure and heart rates both increased as well. Researchers also found that after smoking nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, the participants' blood arteries contracted temporarily.