Effect of Smoking Abstinence and Reduction in Asthmatic Smokers Switching to Electronic Cigarettes: Evidence for Harm Reversal
A recent study of asthma-suffering smokers who made the switch to electronic cigarettes was conducted by Researchers from the University of Catania, headed by Dr. Ricardo Polosa and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/5/4965). The study concluded that from the group of asthma suffers who smoked and used eCigarettes experienced improvements in general lung function and symptoms.
The one year study found that from the 18 asthma suffers who made the switch to ecigarettes and were also dual users of ecigarettes and traditional cigarettes there was a significant improvements in small airway obstruction.
From the 8 dual users the average consumption of traditional cigarettes dropped from 22.4 to 3.9 a day. Dr Polosa stated that in those studied the outcome was “substantially reducing number of cigarettes smoked per day and exposure to their hazardous toxicants, e-cigs may not only improve asthma symptoms and pulmonary function but may also confer an overall health advantage in smokers with asthma. Therefore, e-cig use in asthmatic smokers unable or unwilling to quit should be exploited as a safer alternative approach to harm-reversal (i.e., specific reversal of asthma-related outcomes) and, in general, to harm-reduction (i.e., overall reduction of smoke-related diseases”.
This study is the first of its type and of course more are still needed to get further results on how making the switch can affects peoples lives.
The one year study found that from the 18 asthma suffers who made the switch to ecigarettes and were also dual users of ecigarettes and traditional cigarettes there was a significant improvements in small airway obstruction.
From the 8 dual users the average consumption of traditional cigarettes dropped from 22.4 to 3.9 a day. Dr Polosa stated that in those studied the outcome was “substantially reducing number of cigarettes smoked per day and exposure to their hazardous toxicants, e-cigs may not only improve asthma symptoms and pulmonary function but may also confer an overall health advantage in smokers with asthma. Therefore, e-cig use in asthmatic smokers unable or unwilling to quit should be exploited as a safer alternative approach to harm-reversal (i.e., specific reversal of asthma-related outcomes) and, in general, to harm-reduction (i.e., overall reduction of smoke-related diseases”.
This study is the first of its type and of course more are still needed to get further results on how making the switch can affects peoples lives.