New Study Shows that E-Cigarette Use Is an Independent Risk Factor for Respiratory Disease

Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), or vaping, has drastically increased in recent years, primarily among young adults. About 1 in 5 young adults use e-cigarettes regularly, and 1 in 4 believe that e-cigarettes are harmless and nonaddictive.¹

E-cigarettes aerosolize nicotine mixed with flavoring and preservative agents. Though combustible tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars, are widely recognized as causes of respiratory disease, e-cigarettes are often promoted as safe alternatives. However, studies show that vaping leads to chronic pulmonary inflammation, tissue damage, oxidative stress, and mucus hypersecretion.

A December 2019 study published in theAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicineshows the first population-based, longitudinal analysis of the relationship between e-cigarettes and respiratory disease. The researchers used data from 32,320 participants in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, a national population-based study led by the NIH and FDA.^2-3At baseline and over 2 years, researchers noted whether respondents had respiratory disease, used e-cigarettes, and/or used combustible tobacco products.

A number of subjects reported both respiratory disease and e-cigarette use at baseline. Even after controlling for confounding factors that included age, BMI, poverty level, and combustible tobacco smoking, there was a significant association between former or current e-cigarette use and the risk of respiratory disease.

Read the full article onPharmacy Times.

May Zhangis a 2022 PharmD Candidate at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

REFERENCES

1. Tallent A. National Survey Reveals One in Five Young Adults Regularly Uses E-Cigarettes and Believes They are Harmless, Not Addictive. American Society of Clinical Oncology. https://www.asco.org/about-asco/press-center/news-releases/national-survey-reveals-one-five-young-adults-regularly-uses-e. Published September 26, 2019. Accessed January 10, 2020.
2. Bhatta DN, Glantz SA. Association of E-Cigarette Use With Respiratory Disease Among Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis.Am J Prev Med. December 2019. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.07.028.
3. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) - Home. National Institutes of Health. https://pathstudyinfo.nih.gov/UI/HomeMobile.aspx. Accessed January 10, 2020.