Is vaping better than smoking for cardiorespiratory and muscle function?

The Impacts of Vaping on the Cardiovascular System: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Currently, cigarette smoking remains a global epidemic, with approximately one billion tobacco smokers worldwide, despite declines in use. Vaping products have become popular alternatives in recent years to conventional cigarettes. There has been a perception that vaping serves as a "healthier" alternative and has been increasing across all age groups, especially among teenagers and young adults. Vaping and its additives have been shown to have various implications across organ systems, including pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Meanwhile, additional research efforts are needed to gain insight into the pathophysiology of vaping on cardiovascular disease onset, progression, and outcomes. In order to better understand the body of literature available on the association between vaping and cardiovascular function, a systematic review was conducted, which included case studies of patients engaged in vaping at the time of developing a cardiovascular event. A systematic review was conducted with a total of 20 patients. Only case studies were included to assess the cardiovascular outcomes that were reported with vaping using either nicotine, non-nicotine, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products. Patients were excluded if they orally consumed the vaping liquid and did not smoke the product. Fourteen of the 20 patients assessed were males (70%), five females (25%), and one unspecified sex (5%). The patients varied in age from 13 to 70 years of age, with a mean age of 27.6 years. Vaping history duration ranged from two days to eight years, with a mean of 22.8 months. Fourteen of the 20 patients reported using nicotine-containing vape devices, with an additional two using THC-containing vape products, three using both nicotine and THC-containing vape devices, and one non-nicotine-containing vape device. The results demonstrated that eight of 20 patients presented with chest pain or discomfort and 10 were found in sudden cardiac arrest. Upon resuscitation from cardiac arrest, a variety of arrhythmias were seen, including ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and a prolonged QT segment arrhythmia. The results suggest that vaping likely negatively impacts the cardiovascular system. Further research is warranted, especially as the popularity of vaping continues to rise among younger populations. As vaping continues to rise in popularity, particularly among younger populations, further research is warranted to elucidate its long-term cardiovascular impact.

The association between smoking/vaping habits and self-reported respiratory symptoms

BACKGROUND

Smoking is well known for its harmful effect on the respiratory system, but whether vaping is less harmful is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association of smoking/vaping habits with self-reported respiratory symptoms in vapers and cigarette smokers.

METHODS

An online survey was developed and shared on different vaping and smoking social media platforms and communities.

RESULTS

Out of the 891 respondents, 788 were vapers (77 pure vapers and 711 ex-smokers) and 103 were cigarette smokers. Smokers reported more frequently respiratory symptoms such as chest pain, wheezing and whistling, sputum production, cough, dry mouth, and smokers suffered from more shortness of breath, sore throat and disturbed sleep compared to vapers. The self-reported respiratory symptoms in vapers were mainly related to the nicotine strength of the product and number of puffs per use. There were no significant differences between pure vapers and vapers who were ex-smokers.

CONCLUSION

Self-reported severe respiratory symptoms were less frequent in vapers than smokers, irrespective of their smoking history. This suggests that vaping is less harmful than cigarette smoking.

Exercise and Smoking Cessation

Smoking is a public health crisis, leading to a multitude of health complications. Exercise is associated with numerous health benefits and is accepted by health professionals and smokers as a potentially effective smoking cessation aid. This chapter discusses the extant literature on the relation between exercise and smoking, including cross-sectional studies, experiments, and randomized clinical trials. There is robust evidence for exercise's efficacy in reducing cigarette craving, tobacco withdrawal symptoms, and negative affect. Further, exercise-based interventions appear to boost short-term abstinence yet may fall short of facilitating long-term abstinence. Methodological limitations of extant work are reviewed. We conclude with a discussion of the next steps in this line of work to fine-tune exercise interventions and their application for smoking cessation.

Psychoactive Comfort Products or Snacks: How Chinese Young Adults Perceive the Potentially Addictive Nature of E-Cigarettes

The potential health value and pitfalls of e-cigarettes are currently under dispute in the scientific community. Exploring young adult e-cigarette users' perceptions would assist in adding a public dimension of understanding to the literature and in scientific public health decision making. Therefore, in this study, we collected and analyzed data from interviews with young adult (n = 14) e-cigarette users and found that many referred to e-cigarettes as "snacks," indicating that they considered that both their frequency of use and addiction were manageable and that they could stop using e-cigarettes at any time. To further understand the behavior of Chinese young adults in relation to their perception of e-cigarettes as a "snack", the study developed a social context framework (crossroads model) and psychological judgment model to explain how youth e-cigarette users' perception of "controlled addiction and ready cessation" arises. These models can be used to assess the effectiveness of e-cigarette policy.

E-Cigarette Users' Profiles and Their Association with Identified Impacts of COVID-19 on Vaping among Young Adults in Malaysia

Electronic cigarettes (ECs) users' profiles and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic remain unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore Malaysian EC users' profiles and their associations with related behaviors during the pandemic. The EC users (N = 351) were recruited from an official national vape entity. Respondents were predominantly of Malay ethnicity (90.6%), aged 31 to 35 years (27.6%), males (97.7%), married (68.7%), from Malaysia's west region states (63.5%) and tertiary educated (69.2%). The majority (80.3%) were non-dual users, and most purchased their vaping products online (77.2%), liked that they can vape while working at home (83.8%) and vaped more because of boredom (55.3%), had low and moderate nicotine addiction levels (94.9%), had low motivation level to quit EC use (92.6%) and were more likely to perceive that vaping did not increase the chances of complications from COVID-19. Respondents with moderate to high addiction levels had twice the odds of checking on their current EC supplies, whilst respondents with low motivation to quit had higher odds of using their tank/pod until the last drop and distancing from others when vaping. EC users should be encouraged to quit EC use, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Does Aerobic Exercise Facilitate Vaping and Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials with Meta-Analysis

Cigarette smokers try to quit using several strategies including electronic cigarette use (vaping). An alternative, easy and cheap method is exercise. However, little is known about the efficacy of aerobic exercise (AE) to augment smoking and vaping cessation. This study aimed to systematically review and discuss the reported effects of AE on long-term vaping and smoking cessation in randomized control trials (RCTs). RCTs were searched on different databases. The outcome measures included long-term vaping or smoking cessation and maximal or peak oxygen uptake (VO2max/peak) after vaping- or smoking cessation. Meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effects of AE on long-term vaping and smoking cessation, and the effects of AE on VO2max/peak. Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2 was used to assess trials quality. Thirteen trials were included (5 high, 2 moderate and 6 low quality). Although two high quality trials revealed that 3 vigorous supervised AE sessions a week for 12 to 15 weeks increased the number of long-term successful quitters, the meta-analysis including the other trials showed that AE did not significantly increase success rate of long-term quitters. However, VO2max/peak was improved at the end of treatment. There were no trials on AE and vaping cessation. No evidence was found that AE promotes long-term smoking cessation. Nevertheless, AE improved VO2max and/or VO2peak in quitters.

Fourteen days of smoking cessation improves muscle fatigue resistance and reverses markers of systemic inflammation

Cigarette smoking has a negative effect on respiratory and skeletal muscle function and is a risk factor for various chronic diseases. To assess the effects of 14 days of smoking cessation on respiratory and skeletal muscle function, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in humans. Spirometry, skeletal muscle function, circulating carboxyhaemoglobin levels, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), markers of oxidative stress and serum cytokines were measured in 38 non-smokers, and in 48 cigarette smokers at baseline and after 14 days of smoking cessation. Peak expiratory flow (p = 0.004) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (p = 0.037) were lower in smokers compared to non-smokers but did not change significantly after smoking cessation. Smoking cessation increased skeletal muscle fatigue resistance (p < 0.001). Haemoglobin content, haematocrit, carboxyhaemoglobin, total AGEs, malondialdehyde, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 (p < 0.05) levels were higher, and total antioxidant status (TAS), IL-12p70 and eosinophil numbers were lower (p < 0.05) in smokers. IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12p70 had returned towards levels seen in non-smokers after 14 days smoking cessation (p < 0.05), and IL-2 and TNF-α showed a similar pattern but had not yet fully returned to levels seen in non-smokers. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, eosinophil count, AGEs, MDA and TAS did not significantly change with smoking cessation. Two weeks of smoking cessation was accompanied with an improved muscle fatigue resistance and a reduction in low-grade systemic inflammation in smokers.