Human heart cells respond less to e-cig vapour than tobacco smoke
Researchers from the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit ( MRC IEU ) at the University of Bristol investigated how the same type of cells as those found in the arteries of the heart, known as human coronary artery endothelial cells ( HCAEC ), responded when they were exposed to both e-cigarette aerosol and conventional cigarette smoke. Their results were published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence . Professor Marcus Munafò, who was part of the study team, said: "The past few years have seen a rapid growth in the use of e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine via inhaled aerosol. It's thought that e-cigarettes are unlikely to be as harmful as conventional cigarettes, but little data exists to show their relative harms, or the long term effects of e-cigarette use. Therefore, research into these biological effects is critical. Our study looked at the stress response in heart cells in response to cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol." The...