Vaping damages DNA and raises risk of cancer the same way as cigarettes, study ...

Vaping damages people's DNA in the same way as smoking normal cigarettes - but to a lesser degree - a study warned today.

These biological changes can cause diseases such as cancer, according to the University of Southern California study.

Vaping has been viewed as a safer alternative to smoking, with the UK mulling plans to prescribe e-cigarettes to cigarette users to help them quit. 

There have been several studies that suggests e-cigarettes are harmful, but many questioned whether smoking was still to blame since most vapers also smoke traditional cigarettes or have a prior history of smoking.

But a team of researchers at the University of Southern California found that these biological changes happen even in vapers who've never touched a cigarette.

However, the changes are much more extensive in people who smoke tobacco products, the scientists said.

Laws restricting what manufacturers are allowed to put in vapes are stricter in the UK than the US, so the American study may not entirely reflect effects of E-cigarettes available on the British market.

The study looked at 82 healthy adults split them into three categories — current vapers, people who only smoke cigarettes and a control group who had never smoked or vaped.

They then analysed the genes of all paricipants and looked for changes in gene regulation in the blood cells of each participant.

When the normal regulation of genes is disrupted it can interfere to gene function, leading to disease.

The research studied 37 current vapers, 22 current smokers and 23 non-smokers in Los Angeles. Vapers who currently smoke were excluded from the results.

They took blood samples from the participants to determine how many corrupted genes were in the various groups.

After accounting for age and sex, they found a 'statistically significant' association of damaged genes in vapers — even if they had never smoked. 

Dr Ahmad Besaratinia, lead author and professor of research population and public health sciences, said: 'Our study, for the first time, investigates the biological effects of vaping in adult e-cigarette users, while simultaneously accounting for their past smoking exposure.

'Our data indicate that vaping, much like smoking, is associated with dysregulation of mitochondrial genes and disruption of molecular pathways involved in immunity and the inflammatory response, which govern health versus disease state.'