Exploring the Long-term Cardiovascular Effects of Vaping

Smoking is the "leading, preventable death-cause worldwide", being responsible for almost 700,000 deaths in the E.U. annually. Therefore, implementing successful, long-term smoking cessation strategies is a long-term priority for the NHS. Recent evidence suggests that e-cigarettes (i.e., vaping) are a successful cessation tool, with around 3.6 million users in the UK. There are concerns about long-term vaping, particularly in relation to their cardiovascular effects, as there are no relevant, longitudinal studies. Therefore, we propose a 38-month, four-group longitudinal study exploring the cardiovascular physiological effects of the use of e-cigarettes over a two-year period, informing policy makers and e-cigarette users (vapers). Our study was developed with the support of vapers. The main research question is whether there are any differences in cardiovascular physiology between vapers, who are ex-smokers (Group A), vapers with no previous smoking experience (Group B), dual users (i.e., those who vape and smoke (Group C) and ex-smokers who don't vape (Group D). Two-hundred participants from Sheffield and Leeds will be invited on five occasions (baseline, as well as 6-,12-,18- and 24-months post-baseline). We will assess macrovascular and lung function, cardiovascular disease risk (through questionnaires and blood biomarkers), vaping and smoking dependence, smoking and and vaping history among others.

NCT Number	NCT05757934
Lead Sponsor	Sheffield Hallam University Collaborators: Leeds Beckett University
Conditions	Cardiovascular Diseases
Enrollment	172 participants
Start Date	2023-04-16
Primary Completion	2026-09-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-10-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-10