Tag Archive for: vape

Research Update on Vaping

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Tin, aluminum, lead, and zinc: those are the metals that were found in the aerosol generated by various e-cigarette devices in a recently published study. Sounds like exactly what you want to inhale deep into your lungs, right?

Researchers in Maryland recruited volunteer vapers to test the liquid in the tank, the aerosol, and the remaining fluid in their e-cigarette tanks; 56 subjects provided their e-cigarette for analysis. Testing these metals is no easy task. All samples were collected in sterile conditions, and all tests were compared to samples known to be pure and also with calibrating liquids. The objective was to see what contributions the heating coil might have made to the metals in the aerosol.

Levels of tin, aluminum, lead, and zinc increased after exposure to the coil and the heat it generates, and that’s being distributed into the lungs. Did the metals all come from the coil? No, the e-liquid already had the metals, but the amounts increased after conversion to aerosol.

This adds to the growing body of research that suggests vaping is not benign and is potentially harmful. We won’t know how harmful for years, possibly decades, when those who began vaping years ago are tested and found to have higher rates of lung disorders. If you continue to vape, you may look forward to being one of those subjects. It’s your body. It’s your choice.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Environ Res 159:313–320, PMID: 28837903, 10.1016/j.envres.2017.08.014.

 

Vaping: The Spit Test

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The use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, is gaining in popularity, especially among young adults. I wouldn’t recommend it because the research is incomplete; here’s the latest study.

Researchers recruited subjects for three groups: 15 non-smokers, 14 e-cigarette users, and 15 cigarette smokers. The researchers had the subjects spit into sterile containers. Then they examined the sputum for abnormalities between the groups.

E-cigarette users had increases in stress proteins usually associated with cigarette smoking. Defense proteins that are generally associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were elevated in e-cigarette uses as well. Vapers also had an increase in sputum components associated with an immune response typically found in cigarette smokers. Finally, proteins generally associated with thicker sputum similar to that found in cigarette smokers were also found in e-cigarette users.

Reduced antioxidant levels. COPD. Alterations in immune function. Thicker spit. Yes, this was a small study. Yes, these are only factors associated with serious lung disorders, not the disorders themselves. But do you see anything that seems to indicate vaping doesn’t have serious risks? You can wait until the research shows the hazards or you can quit vaping now. Your lungs. Your body. Your choice.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

P.S. Get all the info on vaping in one place on the Health Info page under Basic Health Info: “Should You Vape?”

 

Reference: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201708-1590OC.