Changes in breathomics from a 1‐year randomized smoking cessation trial of electronic cigarettes

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study on the long-term effects of using electronic cigarettes (ECs) as a substitute for tobacco smoking. The study evaluates changes in exhaled breath measurements and respiratory symptoms over a 1-year period in smokers invited to quit or reduce their cigarette consumption by switching to ECs.

Key Points:

* The study is a prospective 1-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 300 "healthy" smokers who were randomized into three study arms to receive EC kits with cartridges of identical appearance containing either 2-4% nicotine, 1-8% nicotine, or no nicotine.
* Fractional nitric oxide concentration in exhaled breath (FeNO) and exhaled breath carbon monoxide (eCO) levels were measured at baseline and regularly throughout the study follow-up visits.
* Participants were classified as quitters, reducers, or failures based on their smoking phenotype classification.
* The study found that quitters who completely abstained from smoking showed steady progressive improvements in their exhaled breath measurements and symptom scores.
* FeNO and eCO normalization is highly supportive of improved respiratory health outcomes and adds to the notion that quitting from tobacco smoking can reverse harm in the lung.
* The study also notes that there is no information about the long-term health impact of regular EC use.

Main Message:
The main message of the study is that smokers invited to switch to electronic cigarettes who completely abstain from smoking show steady progressive improvements in their exhaled breath measurements and symptom scores. This suggests that quitting from tobacco smoking can reverse harm in the lung. However, the study also emphasizes that there is no information about the long-term health impact of regular EC use, highlighting the need for further research.

Campagna, Davide, Fabio Cibella, Pasquale Caponnetto, Maria Domenica Amaradio, Massimo Caruso, Jaymin B. Morjaria, Mario Malerba, and Riccardo Polosa. “Changes in Breathomics from a 1‐year Randomized Smoking Cessation Trial of Electronic Cigarettes.” European Journal of Clinical Investigation 46, no. 8 (August 2016): 698–706. https://doi.org/10.1111/eci.12651.