Even nicotine-free vapes can harm the lung - study - eviltoast

Research identifies protein responsible for increasing inflammation and oxidative stress

A new study has identified a protein that nicotine-free vape fluid increases in the lung, causing damage including oxidative stress, inflammation and breakdown of the blood vessels.

The research, published in the journal Microvascular Research demonstrates a range of damaging pathways when an in vitro model of the human lung was exposed to a common brand of nicotine-free e-cigarette.

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular in recent years and are often seen as harmless alternatives to cigarette smoking. It is estimated that there are almost five million ‘vapers’ in the UK, compared to around 700,000 in 2012.

  • eran_morad@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Yeah bruh, breathing shit that isn’t air is probably not the best idea, generally speaking.

    • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Who would’ve thought… I wonder how vapes compare to living next to a main road, and if the government will ban ICE cars and air pollution if they’re just as damaging to our lungs?

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Harm more, or less than cigs? Cause cancer? These studies need to be more specific about which is worse.

    • svdasein@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      It is honestly really frustrating to see the issue of relative harm just get flat out ignored. “Vaping is bad” - you never see it compared in any sensible way to alcohol, cigarettes, formaldehyde from carpets - what have you (all of which are more or less bad). “Even drinking water can harm the body” is about as useful a statement. This is so tiresome - we’re not children.

      • norbert@kbin.social
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        10 months ago

        They can be used to quit smoking cigarettes completely and then you can ween yourself off the vape a little easier (ymmv).

        So even if vapes were worse than cigarettes (surely they’re not), in the long run it’d still be better for you if you were trying to quit.

        • svdasein@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Right! I smoked for over 30 years. I started vaping about 12 years ago. Prior to that I tried quitting numerous times - patches, lozenges, pills - none really lasted. Vaping works and it sure as hell is less harmful than the cocktail you get from old-school cigs.

          • Whirlgirl9@kbin.social
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            9 months ago

            are you me? i also quit smoking using vape. I smoked for 3 decades and finally quit smoking/vaping about 8 years ago with the help of stepping down the nicotine until i got to zero…thank goodness. Congrats on your hard fought victory svdasein.

    • Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone
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      10 months ago

      These studies are probably funded by cigarette companies and governments to push people away from vapes and back to cigarettes

  • Sabre363@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    I really wish these articles would be more clear about what kind of vaping they are talking about. Vaping weed, for example, likely has a different chemical composition but might pose similar or very different risks that the article never acknowledges.

    • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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      10 months ago

      Weed vapes are typically just extracts from the cannabis plant, so their chemical composition should be completely different from the liquids used in nicotine vapes.

      • pureness@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        As another commentor mentioned, it would be great for these studies to include the relative harm to for example smoking cigarettes or as you mentioned vaping cannabis. Yes it is common sense anything but air in the lungs is bad, but how harmful?

    • GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org
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      10 months ago

      I’ve seen previous studies about the flavoring used, as well. Something about how it’s a food flavoring only approved for eating, not for inhaling.

      I don’t think I’ve ever heard of nicotine itself being a major contributor.

  • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Yea anything other that clean air like you find deep in the forests and prairies is bad for your lungs. Hardly news. Anything is better than American cigarettes though

      • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Many nation’s cigarettes are just tobacco in paper, not nearly as bad as American companies putting literal rat poison and formaldehyde in the mixture

  • Verdant Banana@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    the nicotine found in most vapes now days are the newer synthetic variety

    after talking to the lab responsible we were told the main difference between synthetic and real is that the synthetic does not cause cancer

    another difference is the real nicotine derived from the tobacco plant is usually sourced from India just like your kitchen spices like vanilla and is prone to contamination from ground pollution like heavy metals

    synthetic nicotine solves several problems including reducing the strain on the planet by using less resources than required for growing large crops of tobacco

    combine that with green chemistry which uses no heavy metals for a catalyst and you have a clean product

    now onto flavorings

    some such as isoamyl acetate for banana flavor are not very harmful to vape and is even used to test breathing equipment

    extensive studies some on a global scale have been done to show the varying degrees of toxicity to nontoxicity on the various flavors

    some flavorings are also good on the environment not only because of green chemistry but also with the newer technologies of reclaiming atoms and molecules from food waste

    there is lab on the east coast of the US doing just that and making chemicals some for flavoring such as isoamyl acetate which has multiple applications

    articles like this are deadest on turning back the clock on good science and good health