Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study investigating the effects of electronic cigarette (e-cig) use on lung health and other health outcomes in adult smokers attempting to reduce their combustible cigarette use. The study compares the use of e-cigs to a non-electronic cigarette substitute (cig-sub) and takes into account exposure levels to both combustible cigarettes and e-cig aerosol.
Key Points:
* The study was conducted as a two-site, four-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 520 adult smokers who smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day and were interested in reducing their combustible cigarette consumption.
* Participants were randomized to one of four arms: a cig-sub and three e-cig conditions with different nicotine concentration levels.
* Spirometry measurements, blood pressure, exhaled carbon monoxide, and weight were collected at several time points during the 9-month trial.
* The study found that e-cig use did not contribute to significant changes in health outcome markers as compared with use of a non-electronic cig-sub.
* however, there were some potential benefits seen in the e-cig group due to decreases in pulse and diastolic BP (at 1 month) and an increase in FET (at 3 months), but these differences did not remain significant after adjusting for demographic characteristics and exposure to cigarettes and e-cigs.
* The study also found that both groups reduced their CPD, CO, and cigarette dependence significantly from baseline, and those in the e-cig group decreased their CPD and combustible cigarette dependence significantly more than those in the cig-sub group.
* There were no significant differences between the groups for changes in any of the outcomes at 1 month or 3 months, including pulse and BP pressure, and FET.
Main Message:
The study suggests that e-cig use does not contribute to additional harms over 3 months in adult smokers attempting to reduce their combustible cigarette consumption. however, it is important to note that the study did not find any significant benefits of e-cig use in this population. The study also highlights the need for longer-term studies to determine whether exposure to e-cig aerosol has positive or negative impacts on health outcomes. Overall, the study provides important insights into the potential risks and benefits of e-cig use in the context of smoking reduction.
Citation
Veldheer S, Yingst J, Midya V, et al. Pulmonary and other health effects of electronic cigarette use among adult smokers participating in a randomized controlled smoking reduction trial. addictive Behaviors. 2019;91:95-101. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.10.041
