At the time, PHE called for GPs to be able to prescribe e-cigarettes on the NHS to help people quit smoking.
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To measure the damage cause by e-cigarettes, scientists monitored 24 adults with an average age of 30, examining the immediate effects of vaping compared to smoking.
They found that the effects from a 30-minute session of vaping - seen as a typical habit as e-cigarettes deliver nicotine at a slower rate than cigarettes - were similar to those from smoking a cigarette for five minutes.
The researchers, who presented their findings at the European Society for Cardiology congress, said they would not recommend using e-cigarettes.
According to the Press Association, Professor Charalambos Vlachopoulos, from the University of Athens Medical School, told the conference: “We measured aortic stiffness. If the aorta is stiff you multiply your risk of dying, either from heart diseases or from other causes.
“The aorta is like a balloon next to the heart. The more stiff the balloon is, the more difficult for the heart to pump. It’s the most powerful biomarker we have for estimating cardiovascular disease.”
Prof Vlachopoulos said that while the long-term risks of vaping remained unknown, he would not recommend their use.
He said: “There could be long-term heart dangers. They are far more dangerous than people realise. I wouldn’t recommend them now as a method to give up smoking. I think the UK has rushed into adopting this method.”
Commenting on the findings, Rosanna O’Connor, from PHE, told the Telegraph: “Vaping carries a fraction of the risk of smoking yet many smokers are still not aware, which could be keeping people smoking rather than switching to a much less harmful alternative.”
12 Undeniable Facts About Smoking
FACT 1(01 of12)
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Every cigarette you smoke reduces your expected life span by 11 minutes. (credit:Jasper White via Getty Images)
FACT 2(02 of12)
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There are roughly 10 million adults who smoke cigarettes in Great Britain. (credit:Bertrand Demee via Getty Images)
FACT 3(03 of12)
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Two-thirds of smokers start before the age 18. (credit:Flying Colours Ltd via Getty Images)
FACT 4(04 of12)
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The proportion of the population who are smokers has decreased since the 1970s. A sixth of the population smoke now, in comparison to nearly half of the adult population smoking in 1974. (credit:Dražen LovriÄ via Getty Images)
FACT 7(05 of12)
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Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds including: carbon monoxide, arsenic, formaldehyde, cyanide, benzene, toluene and acrolein. (credit:murengstockphoto via Getty Images)
FACT 8(06 of12)
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Smoking poses a huge risk to your cardiovascular system.It also steals some of your good cholesterol, increases the risk of clotting and temporarily raises your blood pressure. (credit:Jeffrey Hamilton via Getty Images)
FACT 9(07 of12)
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Immediately after you quit smoking, your lungs and other smoke-damaged organs start to repair themselves. (credit:Oko_SwanOmurphy via Getty Images)
FACT 10(08 of12)
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Smoking is England’s biggest killer. Half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their addiction. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)
FACT 11(09 of12)
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100,000 smokers in the UK die every year from smoking related causes. (credit:Shui Ta Shan via Getty Images)
FACT 12(10 of12)
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In 2012-13 the Government earned £12.3 billion in revenue from tobacco tax. (credit:Jasper James via Getty Images)
FACT 13(11 of12)
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Usage of electronic cigarettes has tripled in the past two years. 2.1 million adults in Great Britain now use them. (credit:diego_cervo via Getty Images)
FACT 14(12 of12)
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A report by Dr Robert West of University College London found that e-cigarette use from popular brands is expected to be at least 20 times safer (and probably considerably more so) than smoking tobacco cigarettes. (credit:mangojuicy via Getty Images)