Heart group warns e-cigarette chemicals may raise cardiovascular risks
The American Heart Association says research increasingly ties vaping chemicals and nicotine exposure to heart, blood vessel and youth health concerns.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
4 min read
The American Heart Association is warning that chemicals in e-cigarettes may harm the heart and blood vessels, as regulators weigh how to treat newer nicotine products. The group says recent studies add to evidence that vaping is not harmless water vapor and can expose users to substances linked to cardiovascular risk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says e-cigarette aerosol often contains chemicals, additives, sweeteners and flavoring agents, including substances it classifies as harmful or potentially harmful. The American Heart Association says those exposures can include formaldehyde and heavy metals, which research has linked to cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer-related risks.
A study published in June 2026 in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology found that synthetic cooling chemicals used in some e-cigarettes may interfere with heart rhythm. The American Heart Association said the findings point to possible risks including irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest.
Jason J. Rose, an American Heart Association volunteer and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said researchers have long understood the dangers of cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products. Rose, who chaired the writing group for the association’s 2023 scientific statement on e-cigarettes, said evidence is growing that e-cigarette users can encounter chemicals capable of damaging the heart and blood vessels.
How vaping may affect the cardiovascular system
The American Heart Association says researchers are learning more about how e-cigarette aerosol may affect the body. Research cited by the group suggests inhaled aerosol may contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, impaired blood vessel function and biological changes that can promote atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries.
The association says researchers also are becoming better able to measure how much of these chemicals people take in while using e-cigarettes. That work matters because e-cigarettes vary in ingredients, flavorings and nicotine delivery, according to the group.
Nicotine adds another strain
The American Heart Association says nearly all e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other tobacco products contain natural or synthetic nicotine. The group says nicotine is highly addictive and can raise blood pressure and heart rate, narrow blood vessels and make the heart work harder.
Over time, the association says those effects can contribute to heart attack, stroke and heart failure. It also says nicotine can increase blood clotting and contribute to peripheral artery disease, a condition that reduces blood flow and can raise the risk of serious cardiovascular events, including lower-limb amputation.
The association says some e-cigarettes can contain as much nicotine as, or more than, a pack of cigarettes. It says nicotine dependence can produce a cycle in which temporary relief is followed by irritability, anxiety, trouble concentrating and cravings as nicotine levels fall.
Youth use and marketing claims
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nicotine exposure among young people can harm brain development and is associated with changes in attention, learning and impulse control. The American Heart Association says adolescents may be more vulnerable to addiction, even with lower exposure, raising concern about products that can deliver higher nicotine doses efficiently.
The FDA’s National Youth Tobacco Survey has found that most young people who use e-cigarettes report using flavored products. The American Heart Association says flavored products can appeal to young users, encourage continued use and may increase the likelihood of using other tobacco products over time.
The association also says evidence does not support marketing claims that nicotine products provide lasting gains in focus, memory or mental performance. Research cited by the group suggests short-term effects on attention are modest and inconsistent, and may reflect relief from withdrawal in regular nicotine users rather than improved brain function.
The American Heart Association says it supports policies barring the sale of flavored commercial tobacco and nicotine products, including menthol, and backs access to FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies, counseling and other cessation support. Nancy Brown, the association’s chief executive, said tobacco and nicotine companies should not be relied on to protect public health and said no tobacco or nicotine product can be considered safe.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.