Electronic cigarettes can result in fatty liver

E-cigarettes have been touted as a healthier alternative to their traditional counterpart, however, a study has suggested they can lead to an accumulation of fat in the liver.

During a 12-week study, researchers at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science in Los Angeles exposed a group of mice to e-cigarette aerosol, so that their blood nicotine levels were similar to that of smokers and e-cigarette users, while a second group of mice were exposed to saline aerosol.

Liver samples collected from the mice exposed to e-cigarettes found changes in 433 genes that were associated with fatty liver development and progression.

Researchers also found that genes related to circadian rhythms (the body clock) were changed in mice exposed to e-cigarettes.

Theodore C. Friedman, lead author of the study, said the research highlights important public health and regulatory implications.

“The popularity of electronic cigarettes has been rapidly increasing in part because of advertisements that they are safer than conventional cigarettes,” he commented.

“But because extra fat in the liver is likely to be detrimental to health, we conclude that e-cigarettes are not as safe as they have been promoted to consumers."