The damage which smokers do to their heart begins to heal itself over time if they choose to stop; but switching to e-cigarettes and vaping doesn’t count as giving up smoking.

That’s the message from Julie Waltenberger, a cardio-pulmonary rehab specialist at Knoxville Hospital and Clinics; during the American Heart Association’s Heart Month in February, she and other medical experts are cautioning smokers about the risks of using nicotine in any form.

Waltenberger says the aftereffects of vaping are nearly identical to smoking; she tells KNIA/KRLS News nicotine is still present in e-cigarettes, and this is what causes long-term harm for smokers.

“That nicotine is what’s creating the damage to our heart. What it does is thicken up our blood; it makes our cholesterol super-sticky and our platelets super-sticky; and it makes it easier for that cholesterol to stick. Nicotine kills off your good cholesterol, and builds up your bad cholesterol,” Waltenberger says.

Aside from smokers, people at risk for heart attacks or heart ailments include diabetics, persons who are obese, and those from a family with a history of heart problems.

Waltenberger says these persons should be examined on a regular basis, and take steps to address the factors putting them at risk. She says those who require her services have already had a heart attack, and ideally she would like to see persons at risk get the help they need before they wind up coming to her.