A Johns Hopkins Medicine-led study has found significant links between exclusive e-cigarette use and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The research underscores potential health risks associated with vaping and informs regulatory policies.
A comprehensive analysis led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has unveiled significant health risks associated with the exclusive use of e-cigarettes, particularly linking them to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high blood pressure among adults aged 30 to 70. Published in the March 15 edition of Nicotine & Tobacco Research, the findings also highlight the necessity for more informed regulatory policies concerning vaping products.
The study analyzed medical data from nearly 250,000 individuals over four years, receiving support from the National Institutes of Health.
Crucially, the research underscores that while both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes elevate the risk of COPD, the risk is substantially greater for traditional combustible cigarettes.
In the United States, e-cigarettes are now the second-most common form of tobacco use after cigarettes. For young adults and adolescents, though, e-cigarettes are the most common form.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal a troubling rise in e-cigarette use among young adults — from 3.7% in 2020 to 4.5% in 2021. About 29.4% of adults who vaped in 2021 also smoked traditional cigarettes, further emphasizing the mixed-use trend.
Comprehensive Findings
The researchers reviewed information on 249,190 participants, stratified by their use of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes.
The analysis identified 23,745 new cases of hypertension, 13,179 of type 2 diabetes, 7,925 of COPD, 9,801 of heart failure and 6,139 of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period.
“Until now, there has been scant longitudinal data in large high-quality datasets linking exclusive e-cigarette use to new-onset cardiometabolic health conditions,” senior author Michael Blaha, a professor of cardiology and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a news release.
The study found exclusive e-cigarette use was not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, there was a significant association with COPD and a slight increased risk of hypertension among adults aged 30–70.
In contrast, combustible cigarette use markedly increased risks for all the studied conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, COPD, heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Dual use of both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes posed even higher risks.
Implications for Public Health
“These results are a critical stepping stone for future prospective research on the health effects of e-cigarettes. While in this short-term study there was no association between exclusive e-cigarette use and cardiovascular events, there was an association with incident COPD and possibly hypertension that will need to be closely watched over longer term follow-up,” Blaha added.
The findings shed light on the urgent need for ongoing research to fully understand the long-term health implications of e-cigarette use. Furthermore, this study supplies crucial evidence for policymakers to consider when assessing the regulatory landscape for vaping products.
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine