Are e-cigarettes healthier?

In the UK around 5.7% of the population, or around 3 million adults currently use e-cigarettes. These are often thought to be the ‘healthier’ option when it comes to smoking, but a lot of the research is still needed as they remain relatively new, and we do not yet fully understand the risks.

There has been some research that has shown that, compared to normal cigarettes, the cardiovascular risk is still present with e-cigarettes as they have been found to increase blood pressure and increase a person’s risk of suffering from a heart attack.

Nicotine is the addictive part of the cigarette, and can also be present in e-cigarettes and this can cause a change in cells, leading them to stop responding to insulin, slowly increasing blood sugar levels. The same risks stand with e-cigarettes due to the nicotine.

The overall consensus is that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool to help you stop smoking altogether but they should not be seen as a permanent fix and if you do not currently smoke, then you should not take up e-cigarettes believing there are no risks.

If you need support in stopping smoking then contact your GP who will be able to refer you to your local smoking cessation team. If you need support managing your blood glucose levels, then you can sign up for one of our memberships to use our MySugarWatch CGM device and have our diabetes specialist coaches support you along the way.

References

Kuntic M, Oelza M, Steven S, Kroller-Schon S, Stamm P, Kalinovic S, Frenis K, Vujacic-Mirski K, Jimenez MTB, Kvandova M, Filippou K, Zuabi AA, Bruckl V, Hahad O, Daub S, Varveri F, Gori T, Huesmann R, Hoffmann T, Schmidt FP, Keaney JF, Daiber A and Munzel T (2020) ‘Short-term e- cigarette vapour exposure causes vascular oxidative stress and dysfunction: evidence for a close connection to brain damage and a key role of the phagocytic NADPH oxidase (NOX-2), European Heart Journal, 41, pp. 2472-2483.

Marques P, Piqueras L and Sanz MJ (2021) ‘An updated overview of e-cigarette impact on human health’, Respiratory Research, 22, pp. 151.

Office for National Statistics (2020) Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2019. Available at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpecta
ncies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2019 (Accessed on 4 January 2023).