MANILA, Philippines — A study found that smokers recovering from major heart procedure may face a lower risk of further cardiovascular complications if they switch to e-cigarettes such as vapes rather than continuing smoking.
This was the finding of a large-scale study titled “Prognosis after switching to electronic cigarettes following percutaneous coronary intervention” conducted in South Korea.
The researchers tracked the smoking habits of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—a treatment that clears blocked heart arteries.
“Among smokers with CAD undergoing PCI, switching to e-cigarettes was associated with a significantly lower risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) than continued combustible cigarette use, similar to quitting smoking,” the researchers led by Danbee Kang at Samsung Medical Center and Sungkyunkwan University said.
The study showed that switching to e-cigarettes offered benefits similar to those achieved by quitting smoking. It underscored evidence from recent clinical trials showing that switching from smoking to vaping can restore blood vessel health to a level similar to complete smoking cessation because of the removal of harmful byproducts of combustion, including tar and carbon monoxide.
“Patients who completely switched to e-cigarettes experienced a greater reduction in the risk of MACE than dual users. These findings suggest that switching to e-cigarettes could be a viable alternative for patients who find it challenging to quit combustible cigarettes after PCI,” the researchers said.
“The best lifestyle change for smokers is to stop smoking. However, if this is not possible, it is worth considering switching to e-cigarettes,” they added.
