association of E-Cigarette Use With Respiratory Disease among adults: a Longitudinal analysis.

Introduction: This study examines the longitudinal association between e-cigarette use and respiratory diseases in a large, nationally representative, randomly selected sample of adults in the US. The study controls for combustible tobacco use and other risk factors.

Key Points:

* The study uses data from the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) Waves 1, 2, and 3.
* The study defines respiratory disease as COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma.
* The study defines e-cigarette use as ever, fairly regularly, or current every day or some days use.
* The study uses logistic regression to quantify cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between e-cigarette use and respiratory disease.
* The study controls for combustible tobacco smoking, demographic, and clinical variables.
* The study finds that former and current e-cigarette use is significantly associated with having had respiratory disease at Wave 1, controlling for combustible tobacco smoking, demographic, and clinical variables.
* The study also finds that former and current e-cigarette use is significantly associated with incident respiratory disease at Waves 2 or 3, controlling for combustible tobacco smoking, demographic, and clinical variables.
* The study finds that the effects of e-cigarettes and cigarette smoking are independent risks for respiratory disease.

Main Message: This study provides evidence that e-cigarette use is an independent risk factor for respiratory disease in addition to combustible tobacco smoking. The risks associated with e-cigarettes are similar in longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses. The findings suggest that switching from combustible tobacco to e-cigarettes could theoretically reduce the risk of developing respiratory disease, but the high prevalence of dual use and the low odds of successfully quitting smoking with e-cigarettes indicate that e-cigarettes should not be recommended.

Bhatta DN, Glantz Sa. association of E-Cigarette Use With Respiratory Disease among adults: a Longitudinal analysis. american journal of preventive medicine. 2020;58(2):182-190. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.07.028