The Electronic Cigarette: Potential Health Benefit or Mere Business?

Marco, Cinzia De; Invernizzi, Giovanni; Bosi, Sandra; Pozzi, Paolo; Paco, Adriano Di; Mazza, Roberto; Ruprecht, Ario; Munarini, Elena; Boffi, Roberto

doi:10.1177/030089161309900624

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In line with several scientific societies, 7,8 the World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned against the use of electronic cigarette use not only for nonsmokers, but also as a smoking cessation strategy at a population level, stating that it is “undoubtedly harmful,” there is insufficient evidence to support effectiveness in assisting smokers attempting to quit, and the majority of electronic cigarette users are dual users (i.e. concurrently using electronic cigarettes and conventional cigarettes).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Electronic cigarette use among Italian smokers: patterns, settings, and adverse events

Gallus

Borroni

Liu

et al. 2020

Tumori

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Objective: Information is scanty on the patterns and settings of electronic cigarette use and on its possible adverse events. To fill the knowledge gap on these issues, we conducted a survey among ever-smokers attending smoking cessation services (SCS) in Italy. Methods: In 2016–2018, we enrolled 395 ever-smokers aged ⩾18 years who were current or former electronic cigarette users in 12 SCS from northern, central, and southern Italy. Results: In all, 12.4% of ever smokers were regular, 9.4% occasional, and 78.2% past users of electronic cigarettes. Of all users, 93.8% consumed electronic cigarettes with nicotine, 95.9% used refillable devices, and 76.6% purchased electronic cigarette devices or liquids in vape shops. The mean duration of use was 3.7 months and the mean number of puffs per day was 86. Among users, 71.5% used electronic cigarettes in at least 1 smoke-free indoor environment, 53.7% in workplaces, 49.5% in restaurants and bars, 33.5% in train/metro stations or airports, and 18.4% in public transports. The use of electronic cigarettes in smoke-free environments significantly decreased with age and increased with duration of use and nicotine dependence. In our sample, 47.1% reported at least 1 adverse event attributable to electronic cigarette use: 19.5% dry cough, 12.0% dry mouth, 7.6% throat or mouth irritation, and 6.8% sore throat. Conclusion: In Italy, most conventional cigarette smokers use electronic cigarettes where smoking conventional cigarettes is prohibited. About half of users reported 1 or more symptoms attributable to electronic cigarettes, despite the relatively short duration of use.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Electronic cigarette use among Italian smokers: patterns, settings, and adverse events

Gallus

Borroni

Liu

et al. 2020

Tumori

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“…6 Moreover, unregulated production of e-cigarettes and e-liquids, in addition to the very limited scientic evidence regarding the chemical composition of the vapors and aerosols generated by e-cigarettes, have raised concerns about the potential adverse health effects of e-cigarette consumption. [7][8][9] Based on recent studies, there is considerable inconsistencies in the levels of nicotine as well as organic compounds (such as propylene glycol and glycerol) in the vapors generated by different brands of e-cigarettes. 10,11 Another recent study reported generally lower levels of organic species, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbonyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and glycols, in the vapors emitted from e-cigarettes compared to tobacco smoke.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate metals and organic compounds from electronic and tobacco-containing cigarettes: comparison of emission rates and secondhand exposure

Saffari

Daher

Ruprecht³

et al. 2014

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts

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114

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In recent years, electronic cigarettes have gained increasing popularity as alternatives to normal (tobacco-containing) cigarettes. In the present study, particles generated by e-cigarettes and normal cigarettes have been analyzed and the degree of exposure to different chemical agents and their emission rates were quantified. Despite the 10-fold decrease in the total exposure to particulate elements in e-cigarettes compared to normal cigarettes, specific metals (e.g. Ni and Ag) still displayed a higher emission rate from e-cigarettes. Further analysis indicated that the contribution of e-liquid to the emission of these metals is rather minimal, implying that they likely originate from other components of the e-cigarette device or other indoor sources. Organic species had lower emission rates during e-cigarette consumption compared to normal cigarettes. Of particular note was the non-detectable emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from e-cigarettes, while substantial emission of these species was observed from normal cigarettes. Overall, with the exception of Ni, Zn, and Ag, the consumption of e-cigarettes resulted in a remarkable decrease in secondhand exposure to all metals and organic compounds. Implementing quality control protocols on the manufacture of e-cigarettes would further minimize the emission of metals from these devices and improve their safety and associated health effects.

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“…But while rates of conventional smoking have fallen, the rates of nicotine inhalation via electronic (e)-cigarette use (vaping) have meteorically risen to 10% of the adult population (19). The marketing of e-cigarettes as a healthy alternative to combustible cigarette smoking is one cause of increased use of e-cigarettes among adults and children (8,10,14,18,20,27). Whereas toxic and lethal effects of traditional combustible cigarettes have been demonstrated in respiratory, cancer, and cardiovascular settings, limited data are available…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…that evaluate the potential toxicity of e-cigarettes in these settings (6,29). Given the dramatic rise in popularity of e-cigarettes and the perception of these nicotine delivery devices as safe alternatives to combustible cigarettes (3,8,10,14,18,20,27,37), additional studies are warranted to determine whether these popular devices are dangerous to human health.…”

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confidence: 99%

Cigarette smoking causes epigenetic changes associated with cardiorenal fibrosis

Drummond

Alexander

Fan

et al. 2016

Physiological Genomics

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Clinical studies indicate that smoking combustible cigarettes promotes progression of renal and cardiac injury, leading to functional decline in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, basic studies using in vivo small animal models that mimic clinical pathology of CKD are lacking. To address this issue, we evaluated renal and cardiac injury progression and functional changes induced by 4 wk of daily combustible cigarette smoke exposure in the 5/6th partial nephrectomy (PNx) CKD model. Molecular evaluations revealed that cigarette smoke significantly (P < 0.05) decreased renal and cardiac expression of the antifibrotic microRNA miR-29b-3 and increased expression of molecular fibrosis markers. In terms of cardiac and renal organ structure and function, exposure to cigarette smoke led to significantly increased systolic blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac and renal fibrosis, and decreased renal function. These data indicate that decreased expression of miR-29b-3p is a novel mechanism wherein cigarette smoke promotes accelerated cardiac and renal tissue injury in CKD. (155 words).

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The Electronic Cigarette: Potential Health Benefit or Mere Business?

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

Electronic cigarette use among Italian smokers: patterns, settings, and adverse events

Electronic cigarette use among Italian smokers: patterns, settings, and adverse events

Particulate metals and organic compounds from electronic and tobacco-containing cigarettes: comparison of emission rates and secondhand exposure

Cigarette smoking causes epigenetic changes associated with cardiorenal fibrosis

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