E-cigarettes come in all kinds of flavors, like mango, cotton candy or creme brûlée.��

But a new study from Boston University and the University of Louisville��shows inhaling those flavors could be bad for your cardiovascular health.��

Researchers found short-term exposure to some flavor additives may cause adverse health effects, such as blood vessel dysfunction that could lead to hypertension.

These results were published in a journal of the American Heart Association (AHA):.��

Daniel J. Conklin, PhD, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at UofL and an author on the study, said little is known about the health effects of e-cigarettes compared to what we know about regular cigarettes.

Despite many still containing nicotine and some with high levels of nicotine, such as JUUL, he said e-cigarette devices are often seen as a cessation tool or as a “safer” alternative because e-cigarettes contain fewer .

“But we can’t rule out risks for other diseases just because cancer risk is reduced,” he said.��

In 2016, the U.S. ��reported that 15.4 percent of adults said they had ever used an e-cigarette and 3.2 percent said they were current users.

But Conklin said e-cigarettes appear to have gained the most traction with teenagers and young adults. According to the , high school students use e-cigarettes more than adults and more than they use traditional cigarettes.

“That’s the most disconcerting aspect, because long-term tobacco use starts in the youth with addiction to nicotine,” he said. “So, many public health advocates are worried we’re looking at addicting a new generation.”

The “Flavor and Addiction to e-Cigarette and Tobacco Toxicity” trial — or FACTT — is carried out by the American Heart Association Tobacco Research and Addiction Center at UofL. Principal investigator for the trial is Sanjay Srivastava, PhD, who also currently has ongoing toxicological studies of tobacco and nicotine to identify which chemicals are harmful and can be regulated.

The center was established in 2013 with a $10.7 million grant from the NIH and FDA. Under the leadership of director Aruni Bhatnagar, PhD, the center conducts multidisciplinary research to help shape the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products as they are regulated by the FDA.

UofL is building a body of research in the potential hazards of electronic cigarettes. In 2014, Bhatnagar chaired the 10-member panel of national experts that developed the American Heart Association’s first-ever policy statement on e-cigarettes, citing the paucity of research that has been conducted on the effects of e-cigarettes on health.

Another researcher with the UofL center, Daniel Conklin, PhD, is currently researching links between e-cigarette ingredients and cardiovascular conditions; Earlier this year, Conklin was invited to present his first findings showing the link between e-cigarette ingredients and atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the arteries, by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for its Annual Meeting.

To be eligible for the FACTT trial, participants must not only be non-smokers, they also must be unmedicated and otherwise healthy. The trial requires a one-time visit for a blood draw at the center in the Delia Baxter Building at 580 S. Preston St. on the UofL Health Sciences Center campus.

Qualified participants will receive a $30 prepaid spending card. For more details and to sign up for the trial, contact the center at ATRAC@louisville.edu or 502-852-4236.