Expert says e-cigarettes increase risk of heart attack by 42%

Expert Stella Martins of the University of São Paulo, Jornal also says in an interview with USP, e-cigarette users are 42% more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers.

Devices like this contain higher amounts of nicotine than regular cigarettes. In addition, the salt of this substance can be even stronger and harmful to health.

In Brazil, traditional tobacco cigarettes have a nicotine limit of 1 mg per unit, says a chemical addiction specialist in Pulmonology at Hospital das Clínicas at USP. In electronics, these values ​​reach 57 milligrams.

“Young people who don’t even smoke are given a ridiculous amount of nicotine,” he says. Small and rechargeable electronic devices seem harmless to the expert, but they are dangerous.

He points out that despite the success of tobacco control campaigns in the country, the population is unaware of the damage e-cigarettes do to the lungs. Part of the problem is the pleasant aromas and flavors that can be used in the appliance.

Ignorance has also complicated addiction treatment. Martins says the phrase “quit smoking” today can be understood in some contexts simply as a switch from traditional cigarettes to electronic cigarettes.

Devices can cause airway obstruction and contain additives that damage the heart and cause thrombus formation. Anyone who uses it and wants to stop it should seek qualified professionals. “We have an extensive drug treatment network in the SUS network,” the expert informs.