New Study Finds Claims That E-Cigarettes Cause Lung Injury Are Unproven

Today, on May 17, reports emerged that researchers from the Center of Excellence for Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) in Catania, Italy, stated that a recent study comparing lung inflammation in smokers and non-smokers did not prove any causal relationship between the use of e-cigarettes and lung injury.<\/p>

A group of American researchers recently published a study comparing lung scans of five e-cigarette users, five smokers, and five subjects who never smoked or vaped.<\/p>

Preliminary evidence suggests that lung inflammation in e-cigarette users is more severe than in smokers, and compared to non-smokers/vapers, indicating greater health damage.<\/p>

In a letter to the editor of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, CoEHAR researchers expressed their concerns about this study.<\/p>

"The very small sample size and low reproducibility of the tests do not allow us to provide accurate and scientific answers regarding lung inflammation caused by e-cigarettes, as it does not account for fundamental factors such as prior exposure to smoking," stated CoEHAR founder Riccardo Polosa in a statement.<\/p>

Due to the inability to decouple the health effects of e-cigarette aerosol emissions from prior exposure to tobacco smoke, only long-term follow-up of exclusive e-cigarette users who have never smoked can verify the potential harms caused by e-cigarette use.<\/p>

CoEHAR emphasized the need to establish and adopt shared scientific research standards and strengthen control over the publication process.<\/p>

"We often oppose the publication of low-quality scientific results in reputable journals without proper review: these studies only fuel unfounded anti-e-cigarette rhetoric based on preconceived notions attempting to dissuade smokers from making less harmful choices for their health," Polosa said.<\/p>