You may think vaping is safer than smoking—especially nicotine-free vaping—but new research shows it can still harm your blood vessels and raise the risk of heart disease.
While vaping avoids many toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, it’s not harmless. Even without nicotine, vape liquids break down into harmful byproducts when heated, potentially causing lung inflammation, chronic coughing, and shortness of breath. Flavored vapes often contain chemicals like diacetyl (linked to popcorn lung) and heavy metals from vape coils.
E-cigarettes create vapor by heating a liquid made of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin—safe to ingest, but risky to inhale. A 2024 study found that both nicotine and nicotine-free vapes negatively affect vascular function, with nicotine-free vapes still showing significant impact.
“You’re exposing yourself to chemicals we don’t fully understand,” said Dr. Michael Blaha of Johns Hopkins. The concern is especially high for youth who never smoked but start vaping due to flavored options.
In short: vaping—even without nicotine—isn’t risk-free. The latest research suggests it can still damage your heart and blood vessels over time.