Electronic Cigarette Use and Respiratory Symptoms in Adolescents

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study investigating the association between electronic cigarette use and chronic respiratory symptoms in adolescents. The study examines the relationship between e-cigarette use and chronic bronchitis symptoms and wheeze, accounting for potential confounding factors such as cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure.

Key Points:

* The study included 2,086 participants from the Southern California Children's Health Study, who completed questionnaires in 11th and 12th grade in 2014.
* Ever e-cigarette use was reported by 24.0% of participants, with 9.6% using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.
* Risk of bronchitic symptoms was increased by almost twofold among past and current e-cigarette users.
* Associations were attenuated but remained significant after adjustment for lifetime number of cigarettes smoked and secondhand smoke exposure.
* There were no statistically significant associations of e-cigarette use with wheeze after adjustment for cigarette use.
* Adolescent e-cigarette users had increased rates of chronic bronchitic symptoms.
* Further investigation is needed to determine the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on respiratory health.

Main Message:
This study suggests that electronic cigarette use is associated with increased rates of chronic bronchitic symptoms in adolescents, even after accounting for cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. The long-term effects of e-cigarette use on respiratory health require further investigation. These findings may have implications for regulatory policies regarding e-cigarette use, particularly in young people.

McConnell, Rob, Jessica L. Barrington-Trimis, Kejia Wang, Robert Urman, Hanna Hong, Jennifer Unger, Jonathan Samet, Adam Leventhal, and Kiros Berhane. “Electronic Cigarette Use and Respiratory Symptoms in Adolescents.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 195, no. 8 (April 15, 2017): 1043–49. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201604-0804OC.