The study was conducted by the renowned Professor Polosa, who is Director of the Institute of Internal Medicine and Anti Smoking Center at the University of Catania, and last June received an INNCO Global Award.
While the sample size was small, “the results of this study may provide some preliminary evidence that long-term use of ECs is unlikely to raise significant health concerns in relatively young users.”
Professor Riccardo Polosa and his research team tracked a small cohort of young adults who had never smoked but were regular users of e-cigarettes. Over a period of approximately 3½ years, these participants were closely monitored and compared with a control group of non-smokers who had never used e-cigarettes.
According to the study authors, “We observed no declines in spirometric measurements, emergence of respiratory symptoms, alterations in markers of lung inflammation in exhaled breath, or indications of early lung impairment on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), when contrasted with a carefully matched cohort of non-smoking individuals who did not use e-cigarettes.” Additionally, the researchers noted that even among the most frequent e-cigarette users, there were no indications of lung damage or inflammation, and no variations in blood pressure or heart rate were detected.
These findings answer the concerns raised by a number of medical professionals who were linking vaping arterial stiffness. In fact, a study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress, held during September 2017 in Milan, Italy, had pointed out that vaping momentarily increases one’s vital signs and arterial stiffness.
In response to the above, Prof. Peter Hajek, who is the director at the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit, at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), had pointed out that there are other things that have the same effect on the body and are considered irrelevant in terms of health risks. “This is a well-known stimulant effect of nicotine that has little relevance for health. Drinking coffee has the same effect, only greater and longer lasting (as does watching a dramatic football match).”
Polosa’s study, published in Scientific Reports, concluded that although the sample size was limited, “the findings of this study may offer initial indications that prolonged use of ECs is unlikely to pose significant health risks in relatively young individuals.” Nonetheless, the researchers emphasized the necessity for additional studies with larger sample sizes to be conducted.
In 2015, Public Health England (PHE) had officially declared that “vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking”. A statement which the health organisation confirmed
The study was conducted by the renowned Professor Polosa, who is Director of the Institute of Internal Medicine and Anti Smoking Center at the University of Catania, and
