A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal BMC Public Health examined the association between e-cigarette use and the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. The study followed the 2020 PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews.
For decades, conventional cigarette smoking has been recognised as a major risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. In response, the tobacco industry introduced electronic nicotine delivery systems, commonly known as e-cigarettes or vapes, promoting them as safer alternatives and tools for quitting smoking.
Researchers analysed existing studies while treating conventional cigarette smoking as a key confounding factor. The findings showed that people who used e-cigarettes had a 53 percent higher risk of experiencing a heart attack compared with non-users.
The risk was even higher among former smokers who now vape. In this group, the odds of suffering a heart attack were more than double, raising serious concerns about the cardiovascular safety of e-cigarettes.
The study concluded that e-cigarettes should not be considered risk-free, particularly for individuals with a history of smoking. While exclusive vaping among people who never smoked did not show a statistically significant increase in cardiovascular risk, the elevated danger observed in former smokers questions the role of e-cigarettes as a reliable harm-reduction tool.
