Overview

• At the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid, clinicians warned of possible irreversible harms to children’s hearts and brains and some pressed for a worldwide sales ban on e‑cigarettes.
• A meta-analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked vaping to an approximately 32% higher risk of stroke compared with non‑use.
• Presenters reported acute cardiovascular effects from e‑cigarettes, including elevated blood pressure and heart rate as well as increased arterial stiffness.
• A University College London review found vaping prevalence rose from 8.9% to 13.5% among adults and from 17% to 26.5% among young adults between January 2022 and January 2024.
• The UK has outlawed disposable vapes and is moving forward with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, while health groups and industry dispute the certainty of cardiovascular risk evidence and debate vaping’s role in smoking cessation.