Vaping Health: New study links smoking to wheezing

ELectronic cigarettes are marketed as less harmful alternatives to smoking, but researchers are increasingly concerned about the potential long-term health consequences of spraying. A study published Thursday in the newspaper Tobacco control adds to the growing number of reasons why the phenomenon is more risky than it appears there.

According to scientists at the University of Rochester and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, people who sweat are almost twice as likely to suffer from wheezing than those who do not use tobacco products regularly. Wheezing – which is usually caused by inflammation and narrowing of the airways between the throat and lungs – is often considered a precursor to serious health problems, such as lung cancer and heart failure.

"The message to remember is that e-cigarettes are not safe when it comes to lung health," said Thursday the study's author, Deborah Ossip, Ph.D. "The changes we're seeing with vaping, both in laboratory experiments and in studies of people who sweat, are early signs of lung injury, which is very disturbing. "

Importantly, this study does not prove that vaping the causes wheezing. Instead, he identifies an association between the two. This association has also been found in previous studies, including a 2017 article in PLOS One who found a link between the use of the electronic cigarette and higher odds of wheezing and shortness of breath.

Here, researchers analyzed self-reported data from 28,000 Americans who participated in the PATH (Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health) study. Study participants included current e-cigarettes who used only e-cigarettes, people who smoked only traditional cigarettes, dual users, and non-users who avoided tobacco products.

When they compared non-users to those who only used the vape, they found that the risk of wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms increased significantly: adult vapers were 1.7 times more likely to 39, have trouble breathing. In the meantime, vapers had less risk of wheezing than those who only smoked cigarettes and those who used both tobacco products.

"Promoting complete cessation of smoking and vaping will be beneficial in maximizing the reduction of the risk of wheezing and other associated respiratory symptoms," the authors of the study recommend. "It is important to note that we have reported that former smokers who have not vaporized, even though they have already quit smoking, still have a significantly increased risk of wheezing and other associated respiratory symptoms, such as compared to non-smokers, suggesting a long-term impact of previous smoking.

The authors note that these results are of particular concern because of the massive use of electronic cigarettes by adults and adolescents. They write statistics indicate that nearly 13% of American adults have tried to vapotate and 4% are currently doing so. At the same time, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that in 2018, vaping increased by 78% among students in grades 9 to 12 and by 48% among students in grades 6 to 12. the eighth. In 2017, more than 2 million college and high school students regularly used electronic cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, MD, announced in September that the use of e-cigarettes by teens was now reaching "epidemic growth". According to Gottlieb, the "FDA has won do not tolerate an entire generation of young people who develop nicotine addiction," and is pressuring e-cigarette manufacturers to stop marketing their products to teens.

In turn, the scientists behind this study worry that their research indicates that if young people continue to vape, they will have serious consequences for health. Vaping may be healthier than smoking cigarettes, but that does not mean that the law itself is healthy.

Abstract:

Context: Wheezing is a symptom of potential respiratory illness and is known to be associated with smoking. The use of the electronic cigarette ("vaping") has increased exponentially in recent years. This study examined the cross association of vaping with wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms and compared this association with smokers and dual users.

The methods: Wave 2 data from the Tobacco Population and Health Assessment Study collected from October 2014 to October 2015 and involving 28,171 adults were used. The cross association of vaping with self-reported wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms in smokers and dual users of tobacco and electronic cigarettes was studied using multivariable logistic regression and logistic regression models. cumulative taking into account a complex sampling plan.

Results: Of the 28,171 adult participants, 641 (1.2%) were current users of e-cigarettes, 8525 (16.6%) were exclusive smokers, 1,066 (2.0%) were dual users and 17,899 ( 80.2%) were non-smokers. users. Compared with non-users, the risks of wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms were significantly increased in current vapers (adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.15). Current vapers had a significantly lower risk of wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms compared to current smokers (aOR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53 to 0.87). There was no significant difference between the risk of wheezing and the associated respiratory symptoms between dual users and current smokers (aOR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.24).

conclusions: Vapors were associated with an increased risk of wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms. Current vapers had a lower risk of wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms than current smokers or dual users, but higher than non-users. Dual use and smoking significantly increased the risk of wheezing and associated respiratory symptoms.