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.
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!
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.
If you read again it clearly states that most young smokers show signs of lung damage after just two years of smoking.
A slight exaggeration. As Polosa explains in the study, some organs show signs of damage from smoking after just a couple years.
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.
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 »
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.
… Say no more, each to there own …
Got a link to this University study?
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.
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.
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.
I don’t think that was tracked. Based on the levels of metals found in measured vapor from standard products (which use mostly kanthal) like prebuilt atomizers and cartomizers, that may not be an issue for most. For those who build their own coils, and inhale deeply, it may be. To my knowledge, no research is being done on this.
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.
Doubtful. But for anyone with concerns, the answer is to vape LESS with higher nicotine. The risks of nicotine are pretty well defined, and small.