E-cigarettes and myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction:
This text is a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship between e-cigarette use and myocardial infarction (MI). The review includes four studies with a total of 585,306 participants, of which 19,435 were e-cigarette users, 1693 were traditional cigarette users, and 553,095 were non-e-cigarette users. The study aims to determine the odds ratio (OR) of getting an MI in e-cigarette users compared to non-e-cigarette users and traditional cigarette smokers.

Key points:

* The study found that e-cigarette users had higher odds of suffering from an MI (7.0%) compared to non-e-cigarette users (6.5%).
* The OR of getting an MI in e-cigarette users (e-cigarettes only or e-cigarettes ┐traditional smoking) was 1.33 (95% CI 1.14 –1.56, p-value 0.01) compared to non e-cigarette users.
* The odds of getting an MI in e-cigarette users were 0.61 (95% CI 0.40 –0.93, p-value 0.02) compared to traditional cigarette smokers.
* The meta-analysis included four cross-sectional studies, with a total of 585,306 participants.
* The analysis included 19,435 e-cigarette users, 1693 traditional cigarette smokers, and 553,095 non-e-cigarette users.
* The analysis adjusted for cigarettes (traditional smoking behavior) and other demographic and clinical risk factors for MI in one study, and for age, sex, race, educational status, income, physical activity, body mass index, diabetes, and heavy drinking in another study.
* The analysis excluded former e-cigarette users and included only the 2014 National health Interview Surveys (NhIS) data from one study to prevent the duplication of data from another study.

Main message:
The study suggests that e-cigarette use is associated with higher odds of suffering from an MI compared to non-e-cigarette users. however, e-cigarette use is associated with a lower risk of MI compared to traditional cigarette smoking. The study highlights the need for further research to determine the long-term cardiovascular effects of e-cigarette use. healthcare providers should advise patients about the potential risks of e-cigarette use and encourage them to quit smoking traditional cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy should be carefully considered, and more research is needed to determine the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Sharma a, Gupta I, Venkatesh U, Singh aK, Golamari R, arya P. E-cigarettes and myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of cardiology. 2023;371:65-70. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2022.09.007