Pod-based e-cig with higher nicotine can cause irregular heartbeat: Study

The nicotine in certain types of ecigarettes may be more harmful than others increasing the risk for irregular heartbeat or heart arrhythmias according to a studyA popular claim is that nicotine in ecigarettes is relatively harmless whereas additives and combustion products largely account for the harms of traditional cigarettesThe research which tested the effects of ecigarettes with various types and doses of nicotine in animal models showed that the nicotine form contained in podbased ecigarettes nicotine salts led to heart arrhythmias particularly at higher dosesIn the study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research researchers compared heart rate and heart rate variability in mice exposed to vape aerosols containing different types of nicotineThe aerosols contained either freebase nicotine used in older types of ecigarettes nicotine salts used in Juul and other podbased ecigarettes or racemic freebase nicotine simulating the recently popularised synthetic nicotine and their effects were compared to nicotinefree ecigarette aerosols or airIn addition the research team delivered increasing concentrations of nicotine over time from 1 per cent to 25 per cent to 5 per centThe nicotine salts induced cardiac arrhythmias more potently than freebase nicotine and the cardiac arrhythmias increased with the higher concentrations of nicotineThis suggests that nicotine is harmful to the heart and counters popular claims that the nicotine itself is harmless said Alex Carll Assistant Professor in Department of Physiology at University of Louisville UofLOur findings provide new evidence that nicotine type and concentration modify the adverse cardiovascular effects of ecigarette aerosols which may have important regulatory implications he addedThe study also revealed that the higher levels of nicotine salts increased sympathetic nervous system activity also known as the fightorflight response by stimulating the same receptor that is inhibited by betablockers heart medications which are prescribed to treat cardiac arrhythmiasIn the autonomic nervous system sympathetic dominance increases the fightorflight response in bodily functions including heart rateThe nicotine in ecigarettes causes irregular heartbeats arrhythmias in a dosedependent manner by stimulating the very receptor that many heart medications are designed to inhibit Carll saidThe findings conclude that inhalation of ecig aerosols from nicotinesaltcontaining eliquids could increase cardiovascular risks by inducing sympathetic dominance and cardiac arrhythmiasThe researchers concluded that if these results are confirmed in humans regulating nicotine salts through minimum pH standards or limits on acid additives in eliquids may mitigate the public health risks of vapingEven without regulatory changes however the research suggests that users may reduce potential harm by opting for ecigarettes with freebase nicotine instead of nicotine salts or using ecigarettes with a lower nicotine contentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever