Vaping & Inflammation

Vaping nicotine may be considered less hazardous to health than cigarettes.  More than 12 million American adults use e-cigarettes, with the highest use among 18 to 24-year-olds.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego Medical School exposed mice to JUUL aerosols 3 times a day for 3 months.  They found elevated inflammation in the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain involved in motivation and reward processing.  Inflammation in this brain region has been associated with anxiety, depression, and addiction. 

The brain was not the only area of the body that was impacted by exposure to vaping.  Inflammation was increased in the colon, which could promote GI problems.  Inflammation was decreased in the heart, and that immunosuppression could make the heart more vulnerable to infection. 

Takeaway:  Researchers expressed concern about the potential for vaping to increase substance misuse and other mental health disorders, as well as raising the risk for problems in the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems.

Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix

Source Neuroscience News, Vaping alters Inflammatory State of Brain, Heart, Lungs, and Colon, Apr. 18, 2022, Vaping Alters Inflammatory State of Brain, Heart, Lungs, and Colon - Neuroscience News.