Neurological

E-cigarettes compared to traditional smokers have a 15% higher risk of stroke at a younger age

Although traditional smokers were more likely to have strokes, e-cigarette smokers had an early stroke and were more likely to have a stroke at a younger age, according to study results presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2021 on Jan. Introduced through November 15, 2021.

For the study, researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of the U.S. population from 2015 to 2018 using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database to find adult participants with a history of stroke. Researchers identified study participants’ smoking habits (e-cigarette, traditional and double smoking) and used the chi-square test, the unpaired t-test, and multivariable logistic regression models to assess the association of e-cigarette use in the stroke population.

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Of the NHANES respondents who identified themselves as smokers, 9.72% were e-cigarette smokers, 60.91% were traditional smokers, and 29.37% were double smokers. The overall prevalence of stroke was 5.41% among all smokers. In women with a stroke, e-cigarette smoking was higher than that of conventional smoking (36.36% vs. 33.91%; P <0.001). E-cigarette use compared to traditional smoking was also more common among Mexican Americans (21.21% vs. 6.02%) and other Hispanics (24.24% vs. 7.70%; P <0.001). Strokes were more common in traditional smokers than in e-cigarette or double smokers (6.75% vs. 1.09% vs. 3.72%; P <0.001).

However, e-cigarette smokers had earlier strokes than dual and traditional smokers (mean age: 48 vs. 50 vs. 59 years; P <0.001). The researchers used a multivariable logistic regression analysis to show that e-cigarette smokers were more likely to have a stroke compared to traditional smokers (adjusted odds ratio 1.15; 95% CI 1.15-1, 16; P <0.001).

In response to this study, Dr. Karen L. Furie, an AHA volunteer expert and chair of the neurology department at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island, suggested that nicotine and other chemicals in vapor products “make the lining of blood vessels.”

“These can damage blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis, but they can also cause injuries that weaken blood vessels, predispose blood clots to formation, and damage blood vessels over time, putting people at risk for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes “Said Dr. Fury in an AHA press release. “It is entirely possible that exposure at a younger age could cause irreversible damage to blood vessels throughout the body, and particularly in the brain.”

She also noted that “It is important for young people to understand that e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative and that the best way to maintain brain health and prevent stroke is to avoid all cigarettes and nicotine products . “

According to the researchers, additional prospective studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of e-cigarettes in reducing the risk of brain and cardiovascular disease.

reference

Patel N, Patel U, Khurana M, et al. Link between e-cigarette smoking and stroke – an NHANES study. Presented at: AHA Scientific Sessions 2021; 13-15 November 2021. Presentation 209.

When younger, e-cigarette users are 15% more likely to have a stroke than conventional smokers. Press release. American Heart Association. November 8, 2021. Accessed November 10, 2021. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/e-cigarette-users-face-15-higher-risk-of-stroke-at-a-younger-age- than -traditional-smokers

For full coverage of the American Heart Association 2021 Scientific Sessions, visit the Cardiology Advisor conference section.

This article originally appeared on The Cardiology Advisor

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