Adverse effects of vaping on human health: a brief review of mechanisms and long-term consequences
Abstract
Abstract Vaping, often advertised as a safe alternative to traditional tobacco smoking, has recently been subjected to active scientific research due to its potential adverse effects on human health. This narrative review synthesises selected recent literature to provide a comprehensive view of the systemic risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes. It lists key chemical components (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine, and flavourings) and thermal decomposition products of vape aerosol (formaldehyde, acrolein, propylene oxide, glycidol) and evaluates their multi-systemic toxic effects and clinical manifestations, as well as specific effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. Current data suggest that vaping can lead to a wide range of acute and chronic diseases, including the e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) and obliterative bronchiolitis and increase the risk of developing oncological, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Particularly sensitive is the developing adolescent brain. A growing body of evidence indicates that vaping is not "less harmful" but merely "differently" harmful and calls for further long-term research and strengthened public health regulation.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Tobacco and COPD: presenting the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Knowledge Summary
- Comparative effects of e-cigarette smoking on periodontal status, salivary pH, and cotinine levels
- Association between exposure to environmental pollutants and increased oral health risks, a comprehensive review
- Influence of gestational window on offspring vascular health in rodents with in utero exposure to electronic cigarettes
- Natural products as kinase inhibitors in lung cancer: molecular mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and clinical trials
- Nicotine in electronic cigarettes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.