Summary
Introduction:
This text is a correspondence to a previous study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences that concluded e-cigarette usage was not connected with adverse outcomes among patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The authors of this correspondence aim to highlight the potential adverse outcomes of e-cigarette usage in patients with IBD, specifically focusing on the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and thromboembolism.
Key Points:
* UC and CD are associated with an increased risk of CVD events, including ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and venous and arterial thromboembolic complications.
* Thrombophilia involves many rare inherited abnormalities and smoking can induce a hypercoagulable state, contributing to thromboembolism.
* The authors' study reported that thrombophilia-related factors in patients with UC and CD were linked with history of CVD and thromboembolism even at a young age.
* VIII/von Willebrand factor (VWF) connected with smoking is associated with increased risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease.
* Increased VWF in IBD, especially in UC, is connected with a raised thrombotic risk.
* E-cigarettes induce VWF and the risk of thrombosis via modulating platelet function.
* apart from CD, a substantial body of evidence has linked cigarette smoking with UC-associated colorectal cancer.
* E-cigarette users and conventional smokers exhibit a higher risk of cancer compared to non-smokers.
Main Message:
The main message of this correspondence is that e-cigarette usage may not be as safe as previously thought, especially in patients with IBD. The authors highlight the potential adverse outcomes of e-cigarette usage, including an increased risk of CVD and thromboembolism. They emphasize the need for further research to understand the long-term effects of e-cigarette usage in patients with IBD. In light of the available evidence, the authors do not recommend conventional and e-cigarette smoking in patients with UC.
Citation
Kountouras J, Papaefthymiou a, Polyzos Sa, et al. adverse Outcomes of E-cigarette in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Digestive diseases and sciences. 2023;68(2):701-702. doi:10.1007/s10620-022-07642-1
