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According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 12% of adults in the United States have tried e- cigarettes at least once in their lives, and almost 4% of U.S. adults use e- cigarettes on a regular basis. New research examines the effects of a few puffs of nicotine-free electronic cigarettes on endothelial function, a measure of blood vessel health. Alessandra Caporale, a postdoctoral researcher in the Laboratory for Structural, Physiologic, and Functional Imaging at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is the lead author of the study. Caporale and her colleagues looked at the short term effects of vaping. They asked 31 healthy, nonsmoking adults with an average age of 24 years to take an MRI scan before and after using a nicotine-free e-cigarette. The e- cigarettes contained propylene glycol and glycerol with tobacco flavoring but did not provide any nicotine. For the study, the participants took 16 puffs, which lasted 3 seconds each. The scans revealed reduced blood flow in the femoral artery — the main artery that delivers blood to the thigh and leg. The team also noted reduced reactive hyperemia. Based on these measures, the researchers concluded that "inhaling nicotine-free electronic cigarette aerosol transiently impacted endothelial function in healthy nonsmokers." Beyond the harmful effects of nicotine, we've shown that vaping has a sudden, immediate effect on the body's vascular function and could potentially lead to long term harmful consequences.", says Prof. Felix W. Wehrli, Ph.D. (Credit: www.medicalnewstoday.com)

Cardiovascular diseases in women are ever increasing and the deaths caused by it counts to be a combined sum of deaths caused by cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and diabetes in the U.S. Thus, making it the leading cause of death in women in the U.S. Taking into consideration impact on racial differences, results are even more dramatic. African women are more affected by cardiovascular diseases when compared to white women. Researchers say that, today’s busy lifestyle with the lack of enough physical movement can be a major reason for this hike in cardiovascular diseases among women. Healthy lifestyle choices along with proper exercise and a balanced diet can help keep cardiovascular diseases at bay. Involving proper exercise in one daily routine can ensure optimum heart health.Physical activity is a known, cost-effective prevention strategy for women with and without cardiovascular disease, and our study shows worsening health and financial trends over time among women with cardiovascular disease who don't get enough physical activity," says Victor Okunrintemi, internal medicine resident at East Carolina University. American Heart Association (AHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the physical activity guidelines as at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 30 to 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week for adults. Unfortunately, more than half of the women population in the U.S with this condition fails to meet with this minimum required amount of exercise. (Credit: www.medicalnewstoday.com)