Electronic nicotine delivery systems did not increase wheezing among adults: JAMA

The use of just electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) was not linked to an increase in the likelihood of self-reported wheeze, says an article published in the Journal of American Medical Association.

The usage of electronic nicotine delivery devices has grown in popularity, raising concerns regarding the effects on respiratory health. It is unknown if the use of ENDS raises the risk of wheezing, which is a typical sign of respiratory disorders. As a result, Luz M. Sánchez-Romero and colleagues undertook this study to present an examination of the longitudinal relationship between ENDS and cigarette usage as well as self-reported wheeze among US adults.

The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study from the United States was used. Longitudinal data for adults 18 and older were evaluated from wave 1 (2013-2014) through wave 5 (2018-2019). The data was examined from August 2021 until January 2023. For six tobacco product usage strata, the prevalence of self-reported wheeze (waves 2–5) was assessed. At the following wave, a generalized estimating equations framework assessed the relationship between cigarette and ENDS use and self-reported wheezing. To evaluate the link between joint cigarette and ENDS use categories and the association of ENDS within strata of cigarette use, an interaction term between cigarette and ENDS use was included.

The key findings of this study were;

1. The analytical sample included 17 075 US individuals with an average (SD) age of 45.4 (17) years, with 8922 (51%) females and 10 242 (66%) Non-Hispanic Whites.

2. The largest connection in reporting wheeze was for current cigarette and current ENDS usage, which was equivalent to current cigarette and noncurrent ENDS use and significantly larger than former cigarette and current ENDS use.

3. The odds of self-reported wheezing among never cigarette and current ENDS use were small and not statistically significant when compared to never cigarette and noncurrent ENDS use, and the odds of wheezing and current cigarette and current ENDS use were small and not statistically significant when compared to current cigarette and noncurrent ENDS use.

Using data from a nationally representative cohort research conducted between 2013 and 2019, we discovered that the use of ENDS does not appear to be an independent risk factor for self-reported wheeze. Individuals with a history of cigarette smoking, on the other hand, reported a slight increase in risk between ENDS usage and wheeze. This study contributes to the corpus of literature that examines the possible risks and benefits of ENDS usage in comparison to other tobacco products. These findings can assist guide public health policy recommendations for ENDS usage in various tobacco product user groups.

Reference:

Sánchez-Romero, L. M., Bondarenko, I., Knoll, M., Hirschtick, J. L., Cook, S., Fleischer, N. L., & Levy, D. T. (2023). Assessment of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems With Cigarette Use and Self-reported Wheezing in the US Adult Population. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 6, Issue 4, p. e236247). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6247