Vaping is associated with increased length of stay among cardiac inpatients

INTRODUCTION: The rapid increase in e-cigarette use, especially among youth, raises significant health concerns. Understanding their impact on high-risk populations, such as those with cardiovascular disease, is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare utilization. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of e-cigarette use on hospital length of stay (LOS) in patients with cardiovascular disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (November 2019-May 2020) among consecutive cardiology inpatients. Eligible participants were those admitted to the cardiac unit, fluent in French or English, and without cognitive or hearing impairments. The primary outcome is length of hospital stay. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and adjusted linear regression to explore e-cigarette use and hospital stay length, with significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Of 1616 cardiac patients, 1089 (73.0%) completed the survey. E-cigarette ever users were 10.4% (4.9% former, 5.5% current). Mean LOS was 11.03 days, longer for ever-users (13.1 days) than never-users (10.8 days). Ever users had a significantly longer LOS by 2.45 days (p=0.040), and current users by 3.24 days (p=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use is associated with longer hospital stays among cardiac patients, even after adjusting for confounders. This underscores the potential harmful effects of vaping on cardiac recovery. Further research is needed to explore these associations and their implications for healthcare utilization.