True impact of vaping on young people's lungs revealed as scientists warn 'it's not harmless'

Résumé détaillé

Vaping could increase risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to scientists’ initial findings on how lungs process oxygen

A vaping study found the first evidence of how e-cigarettes could be harming the lungs of young people.

Vaping was shown to damage how effectively the lungs process oxygen and scientists say the research suggests e-cigarettes leave people at greater risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – when the lungs lose the ability to properly move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide.

Scientists say the small study, published online in the journal Tobacco Control, “provides the first indicator of the potential of prolonged e-cigarette use to have persistent and clinically important cumulative effects” on lung health.

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Smoking has traditionally been the main risk factor when it comes to COPD. It is one of the leading causes of death worldwide but most people can manage the condition and live with it for many years.

The early-stage study by Florida International University in Miami tested the lung function of 22 vapers aged 21 to 35 and again after an average of 12 months.

Participants were tested for forced expiratory volume (Fev1), which is how much air can be blown out of the lungs in one breath in one second. Forced vital capacity was also examined, which is the total volume of air expelled from the lungs during forced exhalation. They were also tested between 9am and 11am, some 12 hours after using any tobacco product.

Participants performed worse for lung function after vaping and as they vape more their lung function worsened. It is the first evidence of “dose dependent” harm linked to e-cigarettes which are promoted as a quitting tool for smokers by the NHS.

NHS chiefs insist the available evidence shows vaping is much less harmful than tobacco but that people who have never smoked should not take it up.

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