Research identifies protein responsible for increasing inflammation and oxidative stress

A new study has identified a protein that nicotine-free vape fluid increases in the lung, causing damage including oxidative stress, inflammation and breakdown of the blood vessels.

The research, published in the journal Microvascular Research demonstrates a range of damaging pathways when an in vitro model of the human lung was exposed to a common brand of nicotine-free e-cigarette.

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular in recent years and are often seen as harmless alternatives to cigarette smoking. It is estimated that there are almost five million ‘vapers’ in the UK, compared to around 700,000 in 2012.

47 points

Yeah bruh, breathing shit that isn’t air is probably not the best idea, generally speaking.

permalink
report
reply
25 points

Who would’ve thought… I wonder how vapes compare to living next to a main road, and if the government will ban ICE cars and air pollution if they’re just as damaging to our lungs?

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points

Yes. Please ban ICE cars.

permalink
report
parent
reply
31 points
*

Harm more, or less than cigs? Cause cancer? These studies need to be more specific about which is worse.

permalink
report
reply
31 points

It is honestly really frustrating to see the issue of relative harm just get flat out ignored. “Vaping is bad” - you never see it compared in any sensible way to alcohol, cigarettes, formaldehyde from carpets - what have you (all of which are more or less bad). “Even drinking water can harm the body” is about as useful a statement. This is so tiresome - we’re not children.

permalink
report
parent
reply
10 points

They can be used to quit smoking cigarettes completely and then you can ween yourself off the vape a little easier (ymmv).

So even if vapes were worse than cigarettes (surely they’re not), in the long run it’d still be better for you if you were trying to quit.

permalink
report
parent
reply
10 points
*

Right! I smoked for over 30 years. I started vaping about 12 years ago. Prior to that I tried quitting numerous times - patches, lozenges, pills - none really lasted. Vaping works and it sure as hell is less harmful than the cocktail you get from old-school cigs.

permalink
report
parent
reply
15 points

These studies are probably funded by cigarette companies and governments to push people away from vapes and back to cigarettes

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point
Deleted by creator
permalink
report
parent
reply
26 points

I really wish these articles would be more clear about what kind of vaping they are talking about. Vaping weed, for example, likely has a different chemical composition but might pose similar or very different risks that the article never acknowledges.

permalink
report
reply
11 points

Weed vapes are typically just extracts from the cannabis plant, so their chemical composition should be completely different from the liquids used in nicotine vapes.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points
*

As another commentor mentioned, it would be great for these studies to include the relative harm to for example smoking cigarettes or as you mentioned vaping cannabis. Yes it is common sense anything but air in the lungs is bad, but how harmful?

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

I’ve seen previous studies about the flavoring used, as well. Something about how it’s a food flavoring only approved for eating, not for inhaling.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of nicotine itself being a major contributor.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

Three vapes, all watermelon flavour, were purchased from an online retailer and contained different concentrations of nicotine: 0mg, 10mg and 20mg in a 2ml solution

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points
*

Where the fuck can I buy 2ml of 20mg liquid? Standard these days since the dawn of mods is 3mg or 6mg, back around 2012ish you could get 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, 18mg, or 24mg, 10 or 20mg has never been a standard. On top of that the smallest bottle I’ve seen sold is 5ml testers, who the fuck sells 2ml?!

Even salt nic, it’s usually 25-50mg. 20mg salt nic would make sense but where the dick do I buy a 2ml bottle? That’s barely a bottle at that point it’s a damn vial, nobody sells that shit. Salt nic bottles are usuall all 30ml, never seen a 5ml, 60ml, or 120ml.

I’m gonna need this study to link me to the online retailer, because frankly I’m not sure I believe them.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points
*

Probably a European pod they’re often around 2ml. Maximum nicotine concentration here is 20mg/ml independent of buying a nicotine shot for mixing liquid yourself, or buying a ready to use flavoured one. Yuul responded to this limit by increasing it’s wick size and effectively increasing nicotine levels per hit above the American levels (of course using up pods much faster is a welcome side effect).

Edit: just look at the top sellers here for example https://www.dampfalarm.de/E-Zigaretten/Pod-Systeme/?p=1

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point
*

Those are standard strengths for freebase nicotine. Nicotine salt comes in different strengths. 50mg/ml and 35mg/ml are standard where I live in the US. Elfbars usually come in 40mg/ml.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

I’ve been to shops that’ll keep keep nicotine concentrate around mix into the liquid if you want. They can also mix the 0mg variant in to reduce nicotine concentration. It’s possible something like that happened.

permalink
report
parent
reply
24 points

Yea anything other that clean air like you find deep in the forests and prairies is bad for your lungs. Hardly news. Anything is better than American cigarettes though

permalink
report
reply
5 points

Just the American ones though, right? 🤣

permalink
report
parent
reply
7 points

Many nation’s cigarettes are just tobacco in paper, not nearly as bad as American companies putting literal rat poison and formaldehyde in the mixture

permalink
report
parent
reply
7 points

Sherlock no shit

permalink
report
reply

science

!science@lemmy.world

Create post

just science related topics. please contribute

note: clickbait sources/headlines aren’t liked generally. I’ve posted crap sources and later deleted or edit to improve after complaints. whoops, sry

Rule 1) Be kind.

lemmy.world rules: https://mastodon.world/about

I don’t screen everything, lrn2scroll

Community stats

  • 3.9K

    Monthly active users

  • 1.4K

    Posts

  • 15K

    Comments