Cardiovascular impact of electronic-cigarette use
Key result
Electronic cigarette use linked to abnormal cardiovascular biomarkers, though less severe than tobacco cigarettes.
Why the study?
Most premature deaths from tobacco cigarettes are attributable to cardiovascular disease, prompting a review of the overall cardiovascular impact of electronic cigarettes.
Does electronic cigarette use alter cardiovascular risk biomarkers compared to tobacco cigarette smoking?
Comparison
Electronic cigarettes vs tobacco cigarettes or non-smoking
Design
Review
Authors
Discussion
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Member takes
Implication
Advises against e-cigarette initiation by non-smokers; leaves open net cardiovascular effects versus tobacco cessation.
Structured PICO
Does electronic cigarette use alter cardiovascular risk biomarkers compared to tobacco cigarette smoking?
P
Population
Electronic cigarette users and tobacco cigarette smokers
E
Exposure
Electronic cigarettes (ECs)
C
Comparator
Tobacco cigarettes (TCs) and non-smoking
O
Outcome
Cardiovascular risk biomarkers (sympathetic nerve activity, oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and thrombosis)surrogate
Electronic cigarettes may be a reasonable strategy for smoking cessation if FDA-certified methods fail, but they are not harmless and should not be used by non-smokers due to adverse cardiovascular biomarker profiles.
Limitations
- Longitudinal studies of electronic cigarette users are not yet available to determine if cardiovascular disease is lower in chronic users compared to tobacco smokers
- Longitudinal studies of EC users are not yet available
Cite This Study
Holly R. Middlekauff (2019) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease. Electronic cigarettes vs. Tobacco cigarettes was evaluated on Cardiovascular risk biomarkers (sympathetic nerve activity, oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and thrombosis). Electronic cigarette use is associated with abnormal cardiovascular risk biomarkers, although often not to the degree found in tobacco cigarette smokers, indicating they are not harmless.