Young vapers are up to 75% more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety or panic attacks

Young vapers are up to 75% more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety or panic attacks

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By Luke Andrews Health Reporter for Dailymail.Com

23:34 Feb 28 2023, update 23:50 Feb 28 2023



According to another damning study, young vapers are up to twice as likely to suffer from mental health issues as non-users.

Researchers led by the American Heart Association surveyed 2,500 children and young adults ages 13 to 24 online.

Up to 70% of those who only vaped THC reported experiencing anxiety such as worries, flashbacks, and panic attacks in the past week. By comparison, among participants who have never vaped, 40% reported it.

Half of vapers also reported suffering from depression, compared to 25% of those in the non-vapers group. Scientists have noted that young people are more vulnerable to addiction to nicotine products, raising questions about why people pick up the habit.

The study is another setback for those who argue that vapes are a healthy alternative to cigarettes, with previous research linking them to cancer, heart disease and other negative effects.

Researchers led by the American Heart Association found that young people using vapes were more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety or panic attacks (stock image)

E-cigarettes were once considered a healthy way to quit smoking, but numerous studies have warned of the risks they pose.

Just this month, a study warned they increased the risk of oral cancer by the same amount as cigarettes, while in January another paper found the devices left patients at greater risk of lung inflammation.

Earlier this week, it was even revealed that a 45-year-old man from Indiana coughed up three liters of blood and was hospitalized after using the devices.

Dr Joy Hart, health communication expert at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, said: ‘Young people have long been vulnerable to smoking, may experience greater harm from nicotine and other drugs and can be targeted by advertisers and tobacco marketers.

Vapes cause MORE lung inflammation than normal cigarettes

A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that e-cigarettes containing nicotine caused more lung inflammation than people who smoke regular cigarettes.

“E-cigarette devices are still relatively new compared to other tobacco products, such as combustible cigarettes and pipes. Further research is therefore needed to try to better understand the popularity of electronic cigarettes, including the reasons for vaping and the associated health risks among young people. .’

Of the participants, 1,359 said they had vaped in the past month.

The researchers, who presented their findings at the AHA’s Health Science Session in Boston this week, found 370 vaped only nicotine, 159 vaped only THC and 830 vaped both.

About 70% of THC vapers reported experiencing anxiety in the past week, while for nicotine only 60% reported these symptoms.

More than half of vapers in all three groups also reported symptoms of depression in the past week.

Scientists have defined depression as having difficulty engaging or being interested in activities they normally enjoy, if they feel the depression is interfering with their ability to do the things they need to do at work, at school or at home and whether it affected their social life or relationships.

When asked about nicotine addiction, scientists said it was most common among those who used nicotine-only vapes.

Dr Hart said: “Although we knew THC was commonly vaped, we were surprised to have so many dual vapers, more than double the nicotine only vapers.

“Dual use can either worsen the addictive nature of vaping or attract people who are more prone to addiction, as well as impact symptoms of depression.

“These findings suggest the importance of addressing THC use and the need to build resilience and coping skills in adolescents and young adults.”

What do recent studies say about e-cigarettes?

People who vape experience ‘worrying changes’ in their blood pressure

Vaping spikes your blood pressure and heart rate immediately afterward, study finds.

Experts from the University of Wisconsin have found that vaping and smoking raise people’s heart rates 15 minutes after use and put the body into “fight or flight” mode.

The study, presented at the 2022 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, looked at data from 395 participants – 164 vapers, 117 smokers and 114 who had no history of nicotine, e-cigarettes or tobacco.

Co-lead author Matthew Tattersall, assistant professor of medicine at the university, said: “Immediately after vaping or smoking, there were concerning changes in blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability and blood vessel tone (constriction).”

But the study wasn’t peer-reviewed and was observational, so the researchers couldn’t prove that the vapes actually caused the heart problems.

E-cigarette users are less fit than non-vapers

Vapers perform worse when exercising than non-smokers and are more like smokers, study finds.

The researchers looked at data from the same participants as the previous study.

After 90 minutes on the machine, they underwent four heart screenings to determine the overall health of the organ.

People who vaped had an 11% lower score than those who did not use nicotine.

Smokers had 16% lower test scores than the control group.

Dr Aruni Bhatnagar, Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville, said: “These studies add to the growing body of science showing similar cardiovascular damage in people who use e-cigarettes and those who smoke combustible cigarettes. “

Vaping is ‘just as bad as smoking for your heart’

According to a study funded by the US government, vapers have the same risk of heart disease as cigarette users.

In two studies, one in mice and the other in humans, e-cigarettes were found to cause blood vessel damage similar to that of smoking tobacco.

The findings from experts at the University of California, San Francisco were published in the American Heart Association’s journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB).

Despite the difference between the ingredients that make up e-cigarette aerosol and cigarette smoke, researchers have found that blood vessel damage does not appear to be caused by a specific component of cigarette smoke or cigarette vapor. electronic.

Rather, it appears to be caused by airway irritation that triggers biological signals in the valgus nerve.

Dr Matthew Springer, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said: “We were surprised to find that there was not a single component you could remove to stop the harmful effect of smoke or fumes on blood vessels.’

“As long as there is an irritant in the airways, blood vessel function may be impaired,” he said.

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