Recent research is strengthening concerns that ‘vaping’, the supposedly harmless alternative to smoking, is not so safe after all.
While e-cigarettes are often marketed as less harmful, a 2025 meta-analysis highlighted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that users had a higher risk of heart attack and stroke compared to non-users.
Many of the affected genes were linked to pathways involved in cancer, cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses.
In India, public health experts are particularly worried about the appeal of vaping among teenagers and young adults.
Although e-cigarettes do not burn tobacco, studies have linked their use to respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing and airway inflammation.
Recent research is strengthening concerns that ‘vaping’, the supposedly harmless alternative to smoking, is not so safe after all. While e-cigarettes are often marketed as less harmful, a 2025 meta-analysis highlighted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that users had a higher risk of heart attack and stroke compared to non-users.
Researchers are also beginning to uncover the molecular changes in the cardiovascular system. A June 2026 study in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, found that regular e-cigarette users showed altered activity in 3,124 genes compared with non-users. Many of the affected genes were linked to pathways involved in cancer, cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses.
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The study, which analysed gene expression in oral cells from 83 participants, also found that the type of vape flavour and device used had a greater influence on these molecular changes than vaping frequency itself, with mixed-flavour and fruit-flavoured products associated with the largest number of gene-expression alterations.
In India, public health experts are particularly worried about the appeal of vaping among teenagers and young adults. Although e-cigarettes do not burn tobacco, studies have linked their use to respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing and airway inflammation. Nicotine exposure during adolescence is also associated with attention deficit, learning difficulties and impulse control.
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