Acknowledging the recent rise in popularity of e-cigarettes or vaping devices as ‘healthy alternatives’ to tobacco cigarette smoking, Xie et al.1 have recently published a valuable longitudinal study into the adverse outcomes of e-cigarette use on respiratory health, adding to the growing literature about the harms of vaping.
Acknowledging the recent rise in popularity of e-cigarettes or vaping devices as ‘healthy alternatives’ to tobacco cigarette smoking, Xie et al.1 have recently published a valuable longitudinal study into the adverse outcomes of e-cigarette use on respiratory health, adding to the growing literature about the harms of vaping. Over 5 years, Xie et al. followed 21,618 participants in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study2, surveying them every year about their smoking habits, e-cigarette usage and any incident diagnoses of respiratory conditions.
They found significant associations between use of e-cigarettes, either formerly or currently, with a risk of developing COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. These associations were found among diverse populations, in all age-groups, among smokers and non-smokers, and in both males and females, even when the participants at the start of the study rated their own health highly.
While unable to establish confident causation between e-cigarettes and incident respiratory conditions, Xie et al. were able to corroborate the findings from several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of less impactful cross-sectional studies to establish a strong associative link between the two3-9. Their findings provide much-needed longitudinal data into a largely under-studied field.
Citations:
1. Xie W, Kathuria H, Galiatsatos P, Blaha MJ, Hamburg NM, Robertson RM, et al. Association of Electronic Cigarette Use With Incident Respiratory Conditions Among US Adults From 2013 to 2018. JAMA Network Open 2020;3(11):e2020816-e.
2. National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health. Washington: USA Government; 2021 [updated 24 Feb 2021; cited 2021 Sept 27]. Available from: https://pathstudyinfo.nih.gov/#
3. Wills TA, Soneji SS, Choi K, Jaspers I, Tam EK. E-cigarette use and respiratory disorders: an integrative review of converging evidence from epidemiological and laboratory studies. The European respiratory journal 2021;57(1):1901815.
4. Xian S, Chen Y. E-cigarette users are associated with asthma disease: A meta-analysis. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2021;15(5):457-66.
5. Chand BR, Hosseinzadeh H. Association between e-cigarette use and asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Asthma 2021:1-10.
6. Jonas AM, Raj R. Vaping-Related Acute Parenchymal Lung Injury: A Systematic Review. Chest 2020;158(4):1555-65.
7. Bravo-Gutiérrez OA, Falfán-Valencia R, Ramírez-Venegas A, Sansores RH, Ponciano-Rodríguez G, Pérez-Rubio G. Lung Damage Caused by Heated Tobacco Products and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health 2021;18(8):4079.
8. Gotts JE, Jordt S-E, McConnell R, Tarran R. What are the respiratory effects of e-cigarettes? BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 2019;366:l5275-l.
9. Bozier J, Chivers EK, Chapman DG, Larcombe AN, Bastian NA, Masso-Silva JA, et al. The Evolving Landscape of e-Cigarettes: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence. Chest 2020;157(5):1362-90.
