A new study reveals that a smartphone app analyzing neck vibrations can noninvasively detect early cardiovascular damage caused by nicotine vaping.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Noninvasive Cardiovascular Risk Detection: A smartphone app analyzes neck skin vibrations to measure blood vessel function and detect early signs of heart damage caused by nicotine e-cigarettes.
- Affordable and Accessible Testing: Unlike traditional methods like cardiac MRI or catheterization, this app could offer a low-cost, radiation-free way to monitor vascular health from home.
- Nicotine Vaping’s Impact: The study found that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes impair vascular function and heart health, emphasizing the need for awareness of long-term heart risks.
An app that uses carotid waveform measurements can provide insights into predicting the long-term risk of heart damage from e-cigarettes, particularly those containing nicotine, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
E-cigarettes have gained popularity among youth and are used as a potential aid to quit traditional cigarette smoking. However, their impact on cardiovascular health has been poorly understood until now.
In this study, researchers applied an innovative blood flow dynamics method using intrinsic frequency to measure blood vessel dilatation and determine the impact of nicotine exposure from electronic cigarette vapor. Findings showed nicotine-containing vapes negatively impacted vascular function and left ventricle-arterial coupling—key indicators of heart health, contributing to accelerated aging of the vascular system.
A Novel Approach to Assessing Cardiovascular Risk
Rashid Alavi, PhD, James G. Boswell Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology and Huntington Medical Research Institutes, led this study. He began this research during his doctoral studies in mechanical/cardiovascular engineering in the lab of Niema Pahlevan, PhD, the Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair in Engineering at the University of Southern California and Fellow of the American Heart Association, in collaboration with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, and the University of California Irvine.
“The intrinsic frequency method, which is a new fluid dynamics-based analysis technique, is very sensitive at detecting abnormalities in the cardiovascular system, even more than some standard hemodynamic measures,” says one of Alavi’s faculty mentors, Robert Kloner, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer at Huntington Medical Research Institutes and professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, in a release. “It is exciting that this technique can be applied to cell phone applications to assess the heart’s function and help reduce risk for cardiovascular disease among e-cigarette users.”
This approach, validated on preclinical models, has potential for human applications, offering a non-invasive tool to detect heart risks early on. For human applications, the smartphone captures images of the neck skin. Then, the algorithm extracts vessel wall dilation from skin vibrations recorded on the images. The dilation of vessel waveforms mirrors pressure waveforms in large arteries, such as the carotid artery.
Traditional methods to detect cardiovascular risk rely on more invasive and complex tests such as invasive cardiac catheterization that includes radiation exposure, or other imaging techniques such as cardiac MRI, CT scanning, or echocardiography. These tests can be relatively expensive and usually involve a visit to a hospital or medical clinic. The carotid waveform measurement can eventually be made from the comfort of one’s home and will have minimal cost, and no risks, such as radiation exposure.
Implications for E-Cigarette and Smoking Risks
This novel technique developed by Alavi and his collaborators requires only carotid waveform (neck pulse) measurements, making it faster, noninvasive, and more affordable to detect early heart changes, whether in clinical settings or using smartphone-based technologies. Researchers also evaluated vapor from traditional cigarettes and found it significantly impairs left ventricle contractile function. In addition to damage from vaping, the novel neck pulse waveform analysis will help users detect risks from traditional smoking.
As vaping becomes increasingly common, especially among younger populations, these findings emphasize the need for greater awareness of the potential health risks associated with nicotine exposure through electronic cigarettes.
“People have this idea that e-cigarettes are much better than traditional cigarettes, so they quit traditional smoking and try e-cigarettes with nicotine. However, e-cigarettes with nicotine have many adverse effects, so they need to be carefully considered,” says Pahlevan in a release.
Alavi adds, “The goal of this study was to raise awareness about vaping and the long-term effects of nicotine on the cardiovascular system. When the vessels become impaired, this will eventually impact the heart. We want to help people make informed decisions about whether to use a substance and its impact on their cardiovascular health.”
A smartphone application is a simple, effective tool for people who vape and smoke to assess their risk. Researchers say the technology has the potential to create increased health equity for the early detection of heart disease, paving the way for easily accessible, widespread testing.
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