Published on January 26th, 2016 | by Jimmy Hafrey

It’s no secret that smoking is bad for your heart. In fact, smokers are twice as likely to suffer heart attacks and they face increased risks for strokes and coronary heart disease.Research shows that smoking can actually damage the lining of your arteries, reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood, and force your heart to work harder just to maintain normal function. So what happens if you switch from smoking to vaping? According to the latest research, it can dramatically improve your cardiovascular health.

In a new study pioneered by Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, researchers recruited a group of smokers and offered them the chance to switch to vaping. Scientists monitored their progress for a full year. By the end of the study, some had completely quit smoking, others had reduced their cigarette use dramatically, and some had continued tobacco use with no major changes. Those who had completely switched to vaping or reduced their tobacco consumption by both smoking and vaping experienced major changes to their heart health.

Many of the smokers had worrisome hypertension at the beginning of the study. But after switching completely to vaping, there was an average decline in systolic blood pressure of 16.3 mm Hg. Those who were dual users (both vaping and smoking) also lowered their blood pressure by an average of 10.8 mm Hg.

Perhaps most interesting of all, the researchers found that those who quit smoking and vaping completely had no further decrease in their blood pressure than those who ditched cigarettes and substituted with vaping. Ultimately, just by trading tobacco cigs for vapor devices, participants were able to continue the experience of smoking while experiencing dramatic benefits to their cardiovascular health.

This study is significant because it contradicts several previous misconceptions about vaping. Many health advocates have claimed that when smokers switch the vaping, they still experience increased cardiovascular risk because they still use nicotine. This study proves that this simply isn’t true.

Furthermore, it shows that vaping is in fact a legitimate alternative to smoking and it allows tobacco users a reasonable way to successfully kick the habit and improve their health dramatically. The study also offers proof that dual use is not necessarily the end of the world. We’ve heard vapor critics argue that dual use will only increase nicotine consumption, thereby doing more harm than good. However, this new study shows that even when smokers manage to cut their tobacco consumption in half by vaping, they still experience significant drops in blood pressure and cardiovascular risk.

Ultimately, this new study gives us just one more look at the potential ways that vaping can change the world. If vaping can help current smokers reduce their risk for heart attack and stroke, why isn’t every doctor in the world recommending this alternative?