Vaping increases risk of stroke by a third in urgent warning to young people

E-cigarettes could increase stroke risk by a third as experts warn of a “vaping epidemic” among the young.

Scientists called for a ban on sales of e-cigarettes at the world’s biggest heart conference amid emerging risks particularly to young vapers. Prof Maja-Lisa Løchen, specialist in cardiology at the University Hospital of North Norway, presented evidence of harms at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual conference in Madrid.

Prof Lochen said: “We’re worried about e-cigarettes becoming a new tobacco epidemic. I worry that vaping may be causing irreversible harm to children's brains and hearts. Of course we have to wait for long-term data, but I am absolutely concerned.

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“Vaping increases your blood pressure, your heart rate, and we know that the arteries become more stiff. It could be even more harmful in children.”

Prof Lochen’s presentation to the top cardiologists said there are 133 potentially harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes - of which 107 are known carcinogens She cited a meta-analysis of available research by the University of California showing vaping increased the risk of stroke by 32%, cardiovascular disease by 24%, asthma by 24%, COPD by 46% and mouth diseases by 47%.

Smoking by comparison increased the risk of stroke by 64%, cardiovascular disease risk doubled, asthma risk increased by 56%, COPD saw a three-fold increase, and oral disease risk increased by 69%. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Prof Lochen said: “Smoking is still a little bit more dangerous but e-cigarettes seem to have a significant harmful effect on these diseases, which is new.

“I think based on what we know now about the detrimental and harmful effects of e-cigarettes, I think there should be a ban on sales of e-cigarettes worldwide. There have been around for 15 to 20 years now, we have the data. We know they are not harmless.

“There is an additional risk of vaping in children when it comes to effects on the body. Because we know that the nicotine and other elements in e-cigarettes have a very harmful effect on developing brains. Not only in the foetus, but during childhood and into your 20s. So that is something we are extremely concerned about.

“We also know that when children and young people start vaping, they may become dependent on the nicotine and it can become a gateway to smoking.”

The NHS is still promoting e-cigarettes as a quitting tool but there are growing concerns about youngsters who have never smoked taking up vaping.

READ MORE: NHS launches first clinic to help kids and teens quit vaping

Norway had a ban on nicotine-containing vapes until July this year when it was lifted, allowing for approved sales with strict regulations, including a restriction to only tobacco-flavored liquids. Delegates were told that harmful chemicals contained in e-cigarettes include nitrosamines, carcinogenic carbonyls, harmful metals and volatile organic compounds.

A review of over 200 studies published earlier this year by University College London found that between January 2022 and January 2024 vaping rates among adults increased from 8.9% to 13.5%, with rates among young adults rising from 17% to 26.5%.

Professor Susanna Price, consultant cardiologist at Royal Brompton and Harefield and chair of the European Society of Cardiology’s Advocacy Committee, said: “We know from some basic science studies that if you expose your vascular trees, so your arteries and veins, to what's contained in vapes, your markers of inflammation go up very, very rapidly.

“The more we understand about cardiovascular disease, it is a disease of inflammation. I am concerned that it is being dressed up as using vaping to get people off smoking but, actually, you're not using vaping to get somebody off smoking when they're that young.

“I think there is a push to suggest that vaping is safe but we don’t know that. It's my concern that we're going to replace one highly addictive substance with another one that may have a similar profile with respect to cardiovascular risk.”

Previous research presented by Prof Løchen five years earlier had already shown what happens in your body every time you vape. Using an e-cigarette raised blood pressure and the heart rate while another study showed smoking e-cigarettes for more than 30 minutes worsened arterial stiffness in a way similar to that of traditional cigarettes.

Caroline Cerny, deputy chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health said: “Evidence consistently shows that while vaping is not risk-free, it is less harmful than smoking and a more recently published evidence review concluded there is lack of evidence to support an association of e-cigarette use with cardiovascular disease.

“Since 2020 over 2 million adults in Great Britain have used a vape to quit smoking, cutting their risk of preventable disease overall. But rates of vaping among children is still too high, and we urgently need the government to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which will give them more powers to crack down on youth vaping.”

The UK Government has banned disposable vapes. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently working its way through Parliament, includes powers to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of vapes.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Vaping is not risk-free, and no child or teenager should be picking up an e-cigarette. Making vaping less appealing to young people and creating a smokefree generation cannot come a moment too soon.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Our health advice is clear, whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for smokers, children and non-smokers should never vape. The worrying rise in youth vaping requires action.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we will bring in the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill alongside the ban on Single-Use Vapes to put an end to the cycle of addiction and stop the next generation getting hooked on nicotine.”

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) pointed out that the University of California’s review of e-cigarette harms had been criticised by some other researchers for being “inadequate in its methods, with a high risk of bias and low certainty of evidence”.

Chief executive, Gillian Golden said: "The IBVTA would never recommend vaping to anyone that would not otherwise be smoking. However vaping is widely held in UK scientific and healthcare community to be very much safer than smoking, and a proven and effective quit aid."