Electronic cigarette (e-cig) vaping has been causally associated with arterial stiffening, oxidative stress, and impaired vasodilatory capacity. Here we investigated acute effects of nicotine-free e-cig vaping in terms of aortic pulse-wave velocity, a marker of arterial stiffness, and measures of peripheral and neurovascular reactivity to induced hypoxia, by means of a quantitative MRI protocol. Flow mediated dilation, a marker of endothelial function, was significantly impaired after vaping; moreover, the peripheral vascular response to cuff-induced ischemia and neurovascular reactivity were altered. Considering the increasing use of e-cig among youth, these results underscore the urgency of further investigation.
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