Use of alternative tobacco products including electronic cigarettes is rapidly rising. The wide variety of flavored tobacco products available is of great appeal to smokers and youth. The flavorings added to tobacco products have been deemed safe for ingestion, but the cardiovascular health effects are unknown. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of flavors on vascular endothelial cell function.

HealthDay (6/14, Thompson) reported a new study suggests “flavorings used in e-cigarettes harm blood vessel cells in a way that could trigger future heart damage.” The lab tests of five flavors used in e-cigarettes – menthol (mint), acetylpyridine (burnt flavor), vanillin (vanilla), cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon) and eugenol (clove) – showed the flavorings “damaged the heart-protective functions of endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels and the heart.” HealthDay noted that this “isn’t the first study to link e-cigarette flavorings with potential health hazards.” The study was published in the journal of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

The ADA Foundation offers a resource on e-cigarettes. Ongoing investigations at the ADA Foundation Volpe Research Center document the toxic substances and irritants found in e-cigarette aerosol.

Dr. Joy Lunan of the Middlebury, CT area encourages you to get informed about e-cigarettes and the possible damage they can cause.

www.middleburydentist.com (203) 598-7920