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December 1, 2017

Study: Long-Term Vaping Causes No Negative Health Issues

A unique study shows that non-smoking vapers experience no apparent long-term negative health effects from vaping. The study was presented at the E-Cigarette Summit in London (U.K.) on Nov. 17, and published in the journal Nature.

A team of researchers from the University of Catania (Italy) and the University of California-Los Angeles, led by Dr. Riccardo Polosa, followed a group of young vapers for 3.5 years who had never smoked, measuring coronary, circulatory, and pulmonary vital signs. They also followed a similar group who did not vape, and also had never smoked.

The scientists measured

  • Blood pressure
  • Heart rate
  • Body weight
  • Lung function
  • Respiratory symptoms
  • Exhaled breath nitric oxide
  • Exhaled carbon monoxide
  • High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lungs

They found that the vapers had no negative health outcomes, and in fact showed results that were virtually indistinguishable from those of the non-vapers. “It is reassuring to know that long term use with e-cigarettes is unlikely to cause any significant health concerns,” said Professor Polosa at a later presentation of his study in Sydney, Australia.

Daily exposure to ECs [e-cigarettes’] aerosol emissions caused no significant changes in any of the health outcomes investigated, including measures of lung function and lung inflammation. Moreover, no significant structural abnormalities could be identified on HRCT of the lungs and no respiratory symptoms were consistently reported. In spite of the small sample size and lack of comparison to smokers, careful examination of long-term health effects of EC use in a rare cohort of regular daily users who have never smoked in their life may contribute to the current understanding of the potential health risks associated with EC use.

The researchers measured a standard set of health indicators throughout the 3.5 year study. Even those in the study who vaped the most e-liquid daily and had vaped the longest showed no indication of damage to heart or lungs — not even changes in average heart rate or blood pressure. Young smokers show signs of lung damage after just two years of smoking.

Even though the study was limited in size, it is important because for the first time we can see the long-term effects of vaping (or the lack of them) in a group of users without a history of smoking. Previous studies have been limited either by their length or by the possible confounding effects of the subjects’ smoking history.

The study results are good news for vapers, but even better for smokers, many of whom have shied away from trying e-cigarettes because of the steady stream of cell studies and the inflammatory press releases and biased news stories that accompany them.

“If no negative health impacts can be seen from daily vaping among those who previously did not smoke, how is it ethical to continue warning smokers away from using these products?” asked American Vaping Association President Gregory Conley in a press release addressing the study.

Smokers created vaping without help from the tobacco industry or anti-smoking crusaders, and I believe vapers have the right to continue innovating to help themselves. My goal is to provide clear, honest information about the challenges vaping faces from lawmakers, regulators, and brokers of disinformation. I’m a member of the CASAA board, but my opinions aren’t necessarily CASAA’s, and vice versa. You can find me on Twitter @whycherrywhy
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Jenn
Jenn
5 years ago

I wish they had a comparison group of smokers… but overall a really well done longitudinal study. Europe is so far ahead of the US in research on vaping… I wish we could get our act together here!

DeicideHD
DeicideHD
5 years ago
Reply to  Jenn

Most smokers don’t show many negative symptons inside of 3 1/2 years, this is still one of those cases is out. Until we have people who have vaped 50+ years, we have no way to even remotely begin to claim this study as anything but preliminary.

Steve Tobias
Steve Tobias
3 years ago
Reply to  DeicideHD

If you read again it clearly states that most young smokers show signs of lung damage after just two years of smoking.

Jan Kamír
Jan Kamír
5 years ago
Reply to  DeicideHD

Still better no compared to many. I know myself when I started smoking my first week was “coughfest” and in a month my physical performance was totally destroyed.

Lee Howard
Lee Howard
5 years ago

So, whats your choice, smoke and know you’ll pretty much get cancer and it all, or “risk” a better way forward with no recorded instances of such (Because its non-cancerous) ? Get real people, in truth you have to make choice to give up smoking, and by not giving out suspect personal judgements and digs at research. This is great news for anyone wanting to change for the better … ” Oh hang on, it’s 95% plus safer than ciggies, and non-cancerous …. now let me think on that …. Not to sure for now, my ciggies taste so nice… Read more »

Rj Peterson
Rj Peterson
5 years ago
Reply to  Lee Howard

I’ll stick with real tobacco. I enjoy it and if it kills me it kills me. Just means less time having to listen to gobshites like this guy belching the conspiracy theorist anthem.

Lee Howard
Lee Howard
5 years ago
Reply to  Rj Peterson

… Say no more, each to there own …

Adam
Adam
5 years ago

Got a link to this University study?

Jeremy Mann
Staff
Jeremy Mann
5 years ago
Reply to  Adam

The link is in the article. But if you missed it, here it is: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-14043-2

It’s linked in the intro’s second sentence behind “study”. Check it out.

Thanks for reading.

Lloyd Cargill Jr
Lloyd Cargill Jr
5 years ago

After decades of smoking, I started vaping a higher nicotine e-liquid which helped me to quit right away. Now I can breathe so much better. Four years of vaping and I’ve quit coughing.

Rok Klobucar
Rok Klobucar
5 years ago

With which metal wire did they vape? I vape with Titanium, some vape with SS, some with Kanthal, etc. Do you think the effect is the same from all the wire types? This is the question I don’t have answer to. Yet.

Rok Klobucar
Rok Klobucar
5 years ago
Reply to  Jim McDonald

Yeah, we desperately need some studies on different metals used in vaping. I am just curious if any of those metals can make vaping more harmful than smoking cigarettes. Probably not… But. You know.