E-cigarette users more likely than smokers to have lung inflammation

Despite ban on e-cigarettes in India, vaping is viral

Society

March 22, 2023

/ By / New Delhi

E-cigarette users more likely than smokers to have lung inflammation

Vapes are easily available in the market, despite the ban

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users have more lung inflammation. than cigarette smokers and non-smokers, according to a recent study published online by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. This study is the first to show that using e-cigarettes and vaping e-liquids causes a distinct inflammatory response in the lungs that is different from smoking cigarettes.

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 In recent years, e-cigarette use has grown significantly, especially among teenagers and young people. Although many people believe that E-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes, they can irritate the lungs and raise the risk of lung disease. However, their long-term safety has not undergone a thorough analysis. Some cigarette users take up vaping to help them quit smoking, with the intention of switching to e-cigarettes altogether, thinking e-cigarettes are less harmful than normal cigarettes, but a new study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine busts that myth.

 In the study, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, researchers compared lung inflammation in smokers, vapers, and non-smokers. Their method for examining the individuals’ lungs was positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This procedure, which uses ‘tracer molecules,” is typically used to diagnose cancer.

 Having these findings provides patients with additional evidence about the potentially harmful effects of e-cigarette use on the lungs. “Our work advances what is currently known about the impacts of e-cigarette use on respiratory health and provides a better understanding of harm and harm reduction associated with e-cigarette use relative to cigarette smoking,’’ says Reagan Wetherill, PhD, the study’s lead author and a faculty member at the Perelman School of Medicine.

The study says that when e-cigarette users were compared to non-smokers and people who smoked traditional cigarettes, the researchers discovered that e-cigarette users had much greater levels of inflammation.

Inflammation-related blood indicators were also examined, but no differences between the groups were discovered. The study says that the findings imply that e-cigarette smokers experience more lung inflammation than non-smokers or even those who consume traditional cigarettes.

As part of the study, there were five e-cigarette users, five cigarette smokers, and five non-smokers in the group. However, it adds that more research is required in order to confirm these results and offer more reliable statistics.

In the less than a decade since they became popular, e-cigarettes have become much more than just ‘new smoking cessation tools’ and have turned into a large industry.

The market for electronic cigarettes, sometimes known as “vapes,” has grown from USD 1.7 billion in 2013 to an expected all-time high of USD 24.6 billion in 2022, according to Statista.com.

This sharp rise in sales indicates increased usage outside of the ex-smoker market. The rate of youth adoption is likewise at an all-time high, as claimed by the Canadian health ministry.

While both cigarettes and vapes contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance, they have different health risks associated with them. Cigarettes are known to be harmful to health and are responsible for numerous diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems. Vapes, on the other hand, are relatively new, and their long-term

The long-term health effects are not yet fully understood. However, research by the University of Pennsylvania suggests that vaping can still cause harm to the lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Additionally, vaping products can contain other harmful substances such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and flavorings that can cause respiratory problems.

Although numerous studies on the impacts of nicotine vaping are underway, most of the current knowledge about the health implications of nicotine comes from studies on smoking and addiction. When breathed in, nicotine travels swiftly from the lungs to the circulation, where it is promptly absorbed by the brain and other bodily organs. As with smoking cigarettes, nicotine vaping can temporarily raise blood pressure and heart rate in the minutes and hours following usage.

Studies say that adolescence and the early years of adulthood are periods of continued brain growth, and children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of nicotine. There is evidence that shows the growing brain may be more vulnerable to the effects of nicotine than adult brains as claimed by Canadian Health ministry.

The Indian government prohibited the use of e-cigarettes in 2019. However, despite the ban, the prevalence of vaping has risen sharply. A variety of nicotine-delivery devices are readily accessible in local cigarette stores, and an online search for ‘buy vape online’ yields a plethora of websites selling vapes in India.

Pro-vaping advocates, on the other side, are calling for the prohibition.to be lifted and vaping devices to be regulated instead. Under the condition of anonymity, a regular vape consumer, a 35-year-old journalist residing in Delhi, thinks that the government should first abolish traditional cigarettes before regulating vapes.

 “In India, people see banning as the solution to everything; it has become more of a trend now,” he tells Media India Group.

 “Vaping has helped me quit regular cigarettes. For me, it is less addictive and less harmful, plus it smells better than normal cigarettes,’’ he adds.

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