UW to Test Long-Term Effects of Vaping on Heart and Lung Health

The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) has launched a study to investigate the long-term effects of vaping on cardiovascular and pulmonary health: Vape Check. Funded by a five-year, $5.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Vape Check study aims to provide the most comprehensive evidence to date on how long-term vaping affects disease risk and overall well-being.

Vape Check is a collaborative effort between the UW Health Preventive Cardiology Program and the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI). The study will be co-led by Dr. James Stein, professor of medicine and director of both the UW Health Preventive Cardiology Program and the UW Atherosclerosis Imaging Research Program, and Tim Baker, associate director of UW-CTRI and a clinical psychology doctorate holder.

The study will recruit 400 participants aged 21 and older who have vaped regularly for a year or more and do not currently smoke, as well as 200 age- and gender-matched control participants who do not vape or smoke. Participants will undergo comprehensive biomarker assessments at UW-Madison periodically over a span of three years, including vital sign tests, non-fasting blood samples for inflammation and cardiometabolic health, and ultrasound checks for arterial injury or changes.

The research team will also monitor participants’ heart rate variability and use CT scans to evaluate lung function and evidence of harm. Real-time measures of nicotine product use, nicotine dependence, and other substances will be obtained to determine if and how biomarker changes are related to vaping patterns and frequency of use over time.

Importantly, the researchers emphasize that their goal is not to identify harm caused by vaping but to understand how vaping affects the human body. As Dr. Baker explains,

“If vaping is significantly harmful, we can tell the public so that they can make more informed choices about vaping. Such results would also provide valuable guidance to clinicians and policymakers. If vaping is found not to be seriously harmful, this may encourage individuals to quit smoking and switch to vaping, ideally to exclusive use, not dual use. Such findings might also encourage the development of clinical harm reduction treatments involving vaping.”

Vape Check is a follow-up to the original Cardiac and Lung E-cigarette Smoking Study (CLUES), with approximately 130 participants from the first study expressing interest in participating in the new study. The findings of Vape Check will be of great public health relevance, as millions of people in the United States, particularly young adults and students, report vaping nicotine.

As the vaping industry continues to evolve and more people turn to e-cigarettes as an alternative to traditional smoking, studies like Vape Check will play a crucial role in providing evidence-based information on the potential health effects of long-term vaping. By taking a neutral, comprehensive approach to understanding how vaping affects the human body, researchers at UW are paving the way for more informed choices, better clinical guidance, and potentially the development of harm reduction treatments involving vaping.

Vape Check Study

What You’ll Get

Your test results on the health of your heart and lungs.
Up to $675 for completing the study.
A good feeling you set the record straight on vaping.
I’m in!

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Matthew Ma

Marketing at Ecigator

With over a decade of experience in the e-cigarette industry, Matthew Ma is a seasoned expert in both the manufacturing and usage aspects of vaping products. His extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies and evolving dynamics of e-cigarettes.