A three-year University of Alberta study challenges the perception that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to smoking. Researchers found that vaping may cause lung and heart damage faster than traditional cigarettes.
The study followed 20 e-cigarette users in their early 20s who had never smoked tobacco or marijuana. Despite normal lung function tests, participants experienced significant breathlessness and reduced exercise tolerance during cardiovascular stress tests.
Lead researcher Michael Stickland said the findings were alarming. “These 23-year-old individuals had normal lung function, yet they showed marked exercise intolerance and greater breathlessness,” he noted.
Further analysis revealed early impairments in blood flow and heart dysfunction, raising concerns about long-term health risks. The lungs do not fully mature until about age 25, making young adults particularly vulnerable.
Stickland emphasized that damage appeared much sooner than typically seen in cigarette smokers. With approximately one million Canadians vaping regularly, the team is partnering with the University of British Columbia on a larger study to track e-cigarette use and lung function over three years.