Multiple U.S. Universities Study Shows: Older Smokers Switching to Vaping Can Effectively Protect Ca

Today, on May 10, news emerged that a recent prospective longitudinal study paper was published in the world's largest clinical medical journal, BMJ Open. The study tracked 17,539 American smokers and found through self-reports that diseases such as hypertension and high cholesterol are related to long-term smoking, while those using vaping devices reported no such diseases. Another experiment involving Pennsylvania State University indicated that using nicotine-containing vaping devices significantly reduces dependence on cigarettes, helping smokers quit.

With the popularity of vaping devices, many smokers worldwide have viewed them as the best alternative to cigarettes. However, some members of the public still know little about the health impacts of vaping devices, and many remain skeptical. In fact, research on vaping products and their safety has been conducted for some time. The UK Public Health Department officially announced in the 2015 document "E-cigarettes: an evidence update" that "vaping devices can reduce harm by about 95% compared to traditional tobacco."

Increasing evidence continues to show that vaping devices are indeed safer than traditional combustible cigarettes. Recently, the University of Michigan, Georgetown University, and Columbia University jointly published a paper: "Time-varying association between cigarette and ENDS use on incident hypertension among US adults: a prospective longitudinal study." The paper indicated that researchers conducted multiple follow-ups on 17,539 smokers aged 18 and older, constructing a time-varying tobacco exposure variable. Ultimately, self-reported hypertension appeared between the second and fifth waves, associated with an increased risk of hypertension among smokers compared to non-users of any nicotine products, while those using vaping devices did not report such risks.

Pennsylvania State University also conducted a similar follow-up study to assess smokers' dependence on cigarettes, vaping devices, and total nicotine after switching to vaping devices. The experiment divided 520 participants into four groups, with the first three groups receiving vaping products with different nicotine concentrations, while the fourth group used NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) and was guided to reduce their smoking by 75% within a month, followed by follow-up checks at 1, 3, and 6 months.

The research team found that compared to the NRT group, all three groups using vaping devices reported lower cigarette dependence during all follow-ups, below the median of participants' usual smoking amounts. Additionally, compared to baseline, the total nicotine exposure did not significantly increase. Given these results, researchers believe that vaping devices can reduce dependence on cigarettes, allowing smokers to achieve their quitting goals through long-term use of vaping devices without increasing total nicotine intake.

Thus, it is evident that vaping devices are an effective alternative to other nicotine products for quitting smoking and reducing harm, safely and quickly reducing smokers' dependence on cigarettes while minimizing health risks.

References

Steven Cook, Jana L Hirschtick, Geoffrey Barnes, et al. Time-varying association between cigarette and ENDS use on incident hypertension among US adults: a prospective longitudinal study. BMJ Open, 2023

Jessica Yingst, Xi Wang, Alexa A Lopez, et al. Changes in Nicotine Dependence Among Smokers Using Electronic Cigarettes to Reduce Cigarette Smoking in a Randomized Controlled Trial. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 2023