Does the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) increase the risk of self-reported incident diagnosed myocardial infarction or stroke in adults?
In a prospective cohort adjusting for smoking history, ENDS use was not significantly associated with an increased risk of self-reported MI or stroke over 5 years.
Existing literature on the health effects of ENDS use has important limitations, including potential reverse causation and improper control for cigarette smoking. We accounted for these issues by using a prospective design and adjusting for current and former smoking status and cigarette pack-years. In this context, we did not find that ENDS use was associated with a statistically significant increase in self-reported incident diagnosed myocardial infarction or stroke over a 5-year period. While more studies are needed, this analysis provides an important foundation and key methodological considerations for future research on the health effects of ENDS use.
Hirschtick et al. (Sat,) studied this question.