Shanghai (April 11, 2016)-- E-cigarette smoking is increasingly promoted as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking, but a growing body of evidence points to its potential dangers. Adding to the evidence, researchers will report at CHEST World Congress this month on a study of e-cigarettes and the immediate effects on pulmonary function in healthy and mild asthmatic young smokers.
In a study of 54 young cigarette and e-cigarettes smokers, 27 had mild controlled asthma and the others were otherwise healthy. Measurements of airway obstruction (oscillometry) and inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide) were worse after e-cigarette sessions, and these findings were more severe in asthmatics.
"These results show that as it happens with cigarette smoking, e-cigarette smoking has more deleterious short-term effects on asthmatics compared with healthy smokers," said Dr. Andreas Lappas of the Hellenic Cancer Society, Athens, Greece. "Additionally, this research adds to the growing body of research pointing to the dangers of e-cigarettes. Especially for asthma, further research is needed in order to assess the risks of long-term e-cigarette use."
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Further study results will be shared at CHEST World Congress 2016. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal CHEST website http://bit.ly/1qB3fjq.
CHEST World Congress 2016, a global event connecting clinicians from around the world specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine will be held April 15 to 17, 2016, in Shanghai, China, with the support of the Chinese Thoracic Society.
CHEST, publisher of the journal CHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.