A new study has warned that vaping may harm the brain, heart, blood vessels and lungs.

Researchers in Germany claim that chemicals produced during the vaping process may affect key blood vessels.

They found that vaping appears to speed up the heart rate and stiffen the inner lining of the arteries.

They have called for countries to consider banning the products for young people.

“I am in no doubt that vaping is bad for you,” he said.

“The argument is of course harm reduction, in that it is less harmful than tobacco products – and absolutely that might turn out to be the case.

“I do think, certainly as physicians, we need to be very cognisant of the fact that they are not harmless and that we need to properly inform the public.”

He said more studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of vaping.

“We would like to see more human studies done but then, the problem with that is that we are going to have to wait years for those kinds of studies to come out because that would require us to examine people who chronically vape,” he said.

The study finds that the majority of studies into vaping have found that it is “somewhat less detrimental than tobacco cigarette smoking;” however, it warns that only a limited number have been carried out to date.

It finds that even if vaping is less harmful than smoking, its popularity among young people could see it appealing to those who would never have smoked.

It notes that if this is the case, vaping could lead to a wider array of health issues among the population as a whole in the coming years.

The study makes no findings regarding the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a means of quitting tobacco but does point to a recent statement from the American College of Preventive Medicines which found limited evidence to support claims they are more effective than approved nicotine replacement therapies.

The authors said aggressive steps should be taken to protect children from the health risks caused by e-cigarettes and called for them to be listed alongside tobacco as an “important health risk factor.”