CDC Identifies Possible Cause of Vaping-Related Lung Injury

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on the 8th that vitamin E acetate added to e-liquid in e-cigarettes may be the “main culprit” behind the deadly lung illness, although other factors cannot yet be ruled out.

CDC researchers detected vitamin E acetate in all 29 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples taken from patients. The substance is an additive used in some e-cigarette products. Researchers also found tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in samples from 23 of those patients, and nicotine in samples from 16 patients.

Researchers said vitamin E acetate is also commonly used in dietary supplements and bath products, but inhaling the substance may affect the body differently than applying it to the skin. CDC researcher James Pirkle said vitamin E acetate can stick to the lungs.

At a media teleconference that day, CDC principal deputy director Anne Schuchat said this was a breakthrough in the agency’s investigation into the cause of the vaping-related illness. However, more testing is still needed, and the current evidence does not rule out other factors that may also cause lung disease.

According to data released by the CDC on November 7, as of the 5th, the United States had reported 2,051 confirmed and probable cases of lung illness associated with e-cigarette use, with at least 39 deaths.