'Highly concerning' l UofL researchers find that e-cigarettes' cause cardiac arrhythmias

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new study by researchers at University of Louisville found that e-cigarettes aerosols can cause heart arrhythmias in animals.

The study, which was published in Nature Communications, found that the effects of e-cigarettes' could cause sudden cardiac arrest or increase the risk for ventricular fibrillation.

Researchers tested the cardiac impacts of inhaled e-cigarette aerosols and they found that for all e-cigarette aerosols, the animals' heart rate slowed during puff exposures and sped up afterward. Researchers said this is a "fight-or-flight stress response."

They also found that menthol-flavored e-liquids and propylene glycol liquid caused "ventricular arrhythmias and other conduction irregularities in the heart."

"The findings are important because they provide fresh evidence that the use of e-cigarettes could interfere with normal heart rhythms — something we did not know before," said Aruni Bhatnagar, a professor in UofL's Division of Environmental Medicine. "This is highly concerning given the rapid growth of e-cigarette use, particularly among young people."

Scientists said the news calls for more research into the cardiac effects of e-cigarettes in both animals and humans.