Vaping is no replacement for tobacco cigarette use

This is a photo of a vape pen and cigarette.

A new look at the effects of airway inflammation from vaping nicotine-containing e-cigarettes (EC) reiterates the negative impact of the behavior designed to replace smoking tobacco cigarettes. The recent study found a direct association between airway inflammation and changes in respiratory mechanics in people who have asthma and vape.

Even people who report that their asthma is well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids are likely to experience increased airway inflammation when vaping, according to the study published in World Journal of Methodology, “Is There a Correlation Between the Changes in Airway Inflammation and the Changes in Respiratory Mechanics After Vaping in Patients With Asthma?”

The study compared two groups of patients with asthma, factoring in age, gender, body mass index (BMI), treatment, smoking history and severity of disease. Categorized as the “asthma group” (25 smokers with stable, moderate asthma) and the “control group” (25 healthy smokers with asthma), researchers found that the asthma group had significant changes in airway inflammation or respiratory mechanics after EC use.

Each of the study participants had a history of smoking tobacco cigarettes. Researchers examined participants through pulmonary function tests (PFTs), total respiratory resistances measurement with an impulse oscillometry system (IOS), fraction exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), exhaled breathe condensate (EBD) gathering and biomarker measurements before and after vaping one, nicotine-containing EC for five minutes. Researchers repeated the measurements at 15- and 30-minute intervals after vaping.

According to the study results, the asthma group exhibited significant differences in key indicators, such as FeNO and respiratory impedance. Researchers said this suggests people with asthma may be more vulnerable to the negative effects of vaping.

The study did note some limitations, including the small sample size, testing only one brand of EC and assessing biomarkers at a single point in time. Despite these limitations, researchers believe further research is needed. 

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