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Review
. 2023 Jul 27:16:2137-2144.
doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S419945. eCollection 2023.

Use of Vaping as a Smoking Cessation Aid: A Review of Clinical Trials

Ahmed M Ashour  1
Affiliations
Review

Use of Vaping as a Smoking Cessation Aid: A Review of Clinical Trials

Ahmed M Ashour. J Multidiscip Healthc. .

Abstract

Purpose: Smoking is a global public health concern, with a significant negative impact on human health and healthcare spending. Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), has emerged as a popular alternative to traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) for smoking cessation. While considered less harmful than combustible cigarettes, the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes (vaping) are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and provide a comprehensive overview of the performance of vaping in clinical trials.

Patients and methods: A search was conducted in the ClinicalTrials.gov database on April 14th, 2023, using the search term "smoking cessation, e-cigarettes, NRTs, and vaping". Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined to identify relevant clinical trials. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized clinical trials that evaluated vaping as a therapeutic approach to smoking cessation were included.

Results: A total of 87 clinical trials were identified, of which only seven were related to smoking cessation through vaping as a form of treatment. The primary endpoint was the effect of vaping as smoking cessation, and the secondary endpoints were patients' abstinence rate, withdrawal symptoms, and adverse events of e-cigarettes. Most of the trials used e-cigarettes as an intervention, with some trials including a combination of e-cigarettes and other NRTs. The trials lasted from 4 weeks to 12 months. The overall results of the trials indicated that vaping was effective in helping smokers to quit. It was also associated with a lower risk of adverse events than combustible cigarettes.

Conclusion: Vaping appears to be an effective method for smoking cessation, and it is associated with a lower risk of adverse events than combustible cigarettes.

Keywords: e-cigarettes; nicotine; smoking aid; smoking cessation; vaping.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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