Have you heard of some recent media reports that vapers are more likely to suffer from strokes in middle age than traditional smokers? Do you doubt the safety of e-cigarettes? Do you want to learn more scientific facts about vaping and stroke? If you have the above questions, please continue reading this article, because we will reveal the truth behind these reports and tell you why e-cigarettes can reduce the risk of stroke in smokers.
First, let’s look at the sources of these reports. They’re all based on a study conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York that was presented at the American Heart Association’s 2021 Scientific Sessions. The study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2015 to 2018, involving 79,825 adults with a history of stroke who used conventional cigarettes or e-cigarettes. The study found that while strokes were more common among traditional smokers, e-cigarette smokers had a 15 percent higher risk of stroke at a young age.
Sounds scary right? However, if you read the details of the study, you can see that this conclusion is very problematic. First, the study was observational only, that is, it could only find a correlation between two variables, not a cause-and-effect relationship. That is, it cannot prove whether vaping caused the stroke or whether something else caused the stroke. Second, the study did not take into account other confounding factors that may affect stroke risk, such as underlying diseases, lifestyle, genetics, etc. For example, e-cigarette users may be younger, healthier, more educated, and wealthier than traditional smokers, all of which may reduce their risk of stroke. vice versa. Third, the study had no data on the type or severity of the participants’ strokes, nor on how often, at what dose, when they used e-cigarettes or traditional cigarettes. These are all important factors that affect stroke risk. For example, some people may use e-cigarettes or traditional cigarettes only occasionally, while others may use a lot on a daily basis. Some people may use e-liquids that contain high concentrations of nicotine, while others may use e-liquids that contain no nicotine. Some people may use both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, while others may only use one or the other. These will affect the probability and severity of their stroke.
Therefore, we can see that the conclusions of the study are very unreliable and cannot be used as evidence that e-cigarettes are harmful. On the contrary, there are many other studies showing that e-cigarettes can reduce the risk of stroke in smokers. why? Because e-cigarettes have the following advantages over traditional cigarettes:
- No chemical substances: We know that the smoke of traditional cigarettes contains thousands of chemical substances, at least 70 of which are carcinogenic, and many are harmful to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. These substances are the main causes of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and other diseases in smokers. While the aerosol of e-cigarettes contains nicotine, it does not have the harmful chemicals, tobacco and tar in normal cigarette smoke. Therefore, compared with traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes have less damage to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
- Helps quit smoking: We know that nicotine is an addictive substance and a major barrier to quitting for smokers. E-cigarettes can provide different concentrations of nicotine, allowing smokers to choose according to their needs and preferences. E-cigarettes can also simulate the shape, taste and feel of traditional cigarettes, giving smokers a smoking-like experience, thereby helping them reduce their dependence on and desire for traditional cigarettes. There is a lot of evidence that e-cigarettes are effective in helping smokers quit or reduce their smoking. Quitting or cutting down on smoking is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of stroke.
- Reduce the harm of second-hand smoke: We know that second-hand smoke is also one of the important factors that cause non-smokers to suffer from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The aerosol produced by electronic cigarettes does not contain tar, carbon monoxide, benzene and other substances harmful to the human body, nor does it produce unpleasant odors. Therefore, compared with traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes have less impact on the surrounding people and the environment.
Researchers from the University of Catania in Italy, the University of Patras in Greece, and the University of Pennsylvania in the United States have found through experiments that even if the concentration of e-cigarette aerosol is increased to 80% to 100%, the impact on endothelial cells is minimal, while cigarettes Even if the concentration of smoke is diluted to 12.5%, it will greatly reduce the wound healing ability and migration ability of endothelial cells. This once again proves that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than cigarettes, so for smokers, since they cannot get rid of nicotine dependence and want to avoid cardiovascular disease or stroke, switching to e-cigarettes is the best choice.
To sum up, we can draw such a conclusion: it is a fallacy that e-cigarettes are more prone to stroke, and e-cigarettes can reduce the risk of stroke in smokers. Of course, that doesn’t mean vaping completely eliminates stroke risk, or that non-smokers should start vaping. Our advice is that if you are a non-smoker, it is best not to start vaping, as it can still have some impact on your health. If you are a person who wants to quit smoking, e-cigarettes can be used as a transitional tool to help you gradually reduce your dependence on nicotine until you quit it completely. If you are a person who cannot quit smoking, e-cigarettes can be used as an alternative, which can reduce your risk of stroke and other related diseases compared with traditional cigarettes. No matter which method you choose, we hope you can maintain a healthy cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system and stay away from the threat of stroke.
