Latest study: Freebase nicotine is safer than nicotine salts

A new study from the University of Louisville shows that nicotine in certain types of e-cigarettes may increase the risk of arrhythmia.

Tests conducted on mice showed that nicotine salts in e-cigarettes may cause arrhythmia and, at higher doses, trigger a fight-or-flight response.

Alex Carll, assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Louisville, said in a news release on Thursday: “This suggests that nicotine is harmful to the heart, contradicting the common claim that nicotine itself is harmless. Our findings provide new evidence that the type and concentration of nicotine can alter the adverse cardiovascular effects of e-cigarette aerosols, which may have important regulatory implications.”

Researchers said that regulating nicotine salts may help reduce the health risks associated with smoking.

The study also suggests that choosing e-cigarettes that use freebase nicotine rather than nicotine salts, or using e-cigarettes with lower nicotine content, may help reduce the risk of harm.