A study led by Johns Hopkins University involving nearly 250,000 people found that e-cigarette use alone among adults ages 30 to 70 was associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high blood pressure, but not other major cardiovascular diseases. The study confirmed that while e-cigarettes pose health risks, they are generally lower than traditional cigarettes.
E-cigarette use increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high blood pressure, and although it is less harmful than traditional smoking, traditional smoking increases the risk of several serious diseases.
A study led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine analyzed health data from nearly 250,000 different individuals over four years to provide clearer insight into the health risks of solely using e-cigarettes. The study found a significant association between vaping and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and increased blood pressure among adults aged 30 to 70.
The findings, published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research and supported by the National Institutes of Health, highlight the potential health risks of e-cigarettes. The researchers say the results will help guide public health recommendations and regulatory decisions for e-cigarette products.
Importantly, the analysis confirmed that both e-cigarettes and traditional combustible cigarettes are associated with increased risk and prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the association was particularly strong with traditional cigarette use.
In the United States, e-cigarettes have become the second most common form of tobacco use after cigarettes and the most common form of tobacco use among teenagers. E-cigarette use among young people has increased from 3.7% in 2020 to 4.5% in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In 2021, about three in ten (29.4%) e-cigarette users also smoked cigarettes. While e-cigarettes are often promoted as safe and harmless, some research suggests that e-cigarette aerosols may contain high levels of dangerous organic compounds and higher concentrations of nicotine, which may be addictive and harmful.
Known Risks of Traditional Cigarettes
Decades of research show that combustible cigarettes continue to increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease, heart attack, heart failure and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8 out of 10 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related deaths in the United States are linked to combustible cigarette users.
A previous cross-sectional study (where researchers collect data from many individuals at one point in time) found that people who use e-cigarettes have an increased risk of developing asthma, while a longitudinal study (where researchers look at the same individuals or groups repeatedly over a long period of time) showed a higher risk of developing new respiratory disease symptoms.
As a result, "there remains considerable uncertainty about the relative harms of e-cigarettes compared with traditional smoking. To date, longitudinal data linking e-cigarette use to new-onset cardiometabolic health problems in large, high-quality data sets remains sparse," said the study's senior author, Michael Blaha, MD, MPH, professor of cardiology and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
For the analysis, the researchers used medical information from 249,190 people, including 203,932 people who reported never using e-cigarettes or combustible cigarettes (203,932), 3164 people who reported using only e-cigarettes, 33778 people who reported using only combustible cigarettes, and 8316 people who reported using both e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes.
Health outcomes associated with e-cigarette use
The sick population is characterized by the use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes. During nearly four years of follow-up, 23,745 new cases of hypertension, 13,179 new cases of type 2 diabetes, 7,925 new cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 9,801 new cases of heart failure, and 6,139 new cases of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were identified. In these cases, the study found that e-cigarette use alone was not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but was significantly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In a sub-analysis of those aged 30-70 years, the risk of hypertension was slightly increased.
In contrast, the findings showed that combustible cigarette use alone significantly increased the risk of all outcomes, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Using both combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes showed similar results, although risk estimates were slightly higher than using combustible cigarettes alone.
"These results lay an important stepping stone for future research into the health effects of e-cigarettes," said Blaha. "While there was no association between e-cigarette use alone and cardiovascular events in this short-term study, there is an association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidence and possibly hypertension that will need to be closely monitored in the long-term follow-up."
Blaha said new research shows that e-cigarettes do pose potential health risks, although the risks may be lower than those of simply smoking traditional combustible cigarettes.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily