E-cigs Promote Arrhythmias During Labor and Postpartum

In our latest episode, Associate Editor Dr. Jason Carter (Baylor University, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences) interviews authors Dr. Alex Carll and Brittany Reynolds (University of Louisville School of Medicine), along with expert Dr. Jessica Bradshaw (University of North Texas Health Science Center), about the recent work by Reynolds et al. There are an estimated 68 million e-cigarette users worldwide, and the use of e-cigarettes during pregnancy has been on a steady rise in recent years. Evidence shows that 1 in 5 smokers or ex-smokers who become pregnant use e-cigarettes during pregnancy, yet the effects of vaping on maternal health during and after pregnancy are poorly understood. Reynolds et al. developed a preclinical mouse model of e-cigarette use during pregnancy to assess maternal autonomic control and ventricular arrhythmias, which further solidifies the relevance of animal research to the NIH mission to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. The authors measured the dams at 3 weeks postpartum and found lasting increases in catecholamines, which indicates increased sympathetic activation. In addition, the authors found increases in the occurrence of spontaneous ventricular premature beats, which are indications of increased risk for sudden cardiac death and heart failure. What impact does vaping have on maternal cardiovascular health, both during pregnancy and in the postpartum period? Listen now to find out more.

Brittany R. Reynolds, Sean M. Raph, Anand Ramalingam, Shweta Srivastava, Pawel Lorkiewicz, Lillian E. Watson, Kenneth R. Brittian, Helen E. Collins, and Alex P. Carll Don't go vaping my heart: e-cigarette exposure during pregnancy promotes peripartum ventricular arrhythmias and sympathetic dominance Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published September 22, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00509.2025