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. 2017 Mar 1:3:5.
doi: 10.18332/tpc/67799. eCollection 2017.

Acute effects of short term use of ecigarettes on Airways Physiology and Respiratory Symptoms in Smokers with and without Airway Obstructive Diseases and in Healthy non smokers

Anastasios Palamidas  1 , Stamatoula Tsikrika  1 , Paraskevi A Katsaounou  2 , Sofia Vakali  1 , Sofia-Antiopi Gennimata  1 , George Kaltsakas  1 , Christina Gratziou  1 , Nikolaos Koulouris  1
Affiliations

Acute effects of short term use of ecigarettes on Airways Physiology and Respiratory Symptoms in Smokers with and without Airway Obstructive Diseases and in Healthy non smokers

Anastasios Palamidas et al. Tob Prev Cessat. .

Abstract

Background: Although the use of e-cigarettes is increasing worldwide, their short and long-term effects remain undefined. We aimed to study the acute effect of short-term use of e-cigarettes containing nicotine on lung function and respiratory symptoms in smokers with airways obstructive disease (COPD, asthma), "healthy" smokers, and healthy never smokers.

Methods: Respiratory symptoms, vital signs, exhaled NO, airway temperature, airway resistance (Raw), specific airway conductance (sGaw) and single nitrogen breath test were assessed before and immediately after short term use of an e-cigarette containing 11mg of nicotine among adults with COPD, asthma, "healthy" smokers, and never-smokers. The effect of the use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes among "healthy" never smokers was also studied.

Results: The majority of participants reported acute cough. Short term use of nicotine e-cigarettes was associated: a) with increased heart rate in all subjects except in the COPD group, b) decreased oxygen saturation in "healthy" and COPD smokers, c) increased Raw in asthmatic smokers, "healthy" smokers, and healthy never smokers, d) decreased sGaw in healthy subjects, and e) changed slope of phase III curve in asthmatic smokers. Short-term use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes increased Raw and decreased sGaw among healthy never smokers.

Conclusions: Short-term use of an e-cigarette has acute effects on airways physiology and respiratory symptoms in COPD smokers, asthmatic smokers, "healthy" smokers and healthy never smokers. E-cigarette use was associated with effects in "healthy" never smokers irrespectively of nicotine concentration. More studies are needed to investigate both short and long-term effects of e-cigarette use.

Keywords: airway inflammation; airways resistance; electronic cigarette; respiratory function; respiratory impedance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none were reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Airway resistance pre- and post-inhaling the content of a single e-cigarette. Box plot graphs for each of the groups tested. The end of the boxes define the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a line at the median and error bars defining the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Specific airway conductance pre- and post-ecigarette use depicted withbox plot graphs for each of the groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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