New study: Vaping may damage young people's lungs as much as smoking

According to a new study that compared the physical fitness of young people who smoked electronic cigarettes, and their peers who smoked regular cigarettes, Vaping is as bad for young people's lungs as smoking.

Both groups were in worse physical condition than their peers who did not smoke at all, the study found.

Vaping also harms health – study

The new study is being presented at the annual conference of the European Respiratory Society (ERS 2024). It involved 60 young (20-something) volunteers. All of them underwent spirometry, which showed that they had normal breathing function. Twenty people did not smoke at all. Another 20 smoked e-cigarettes for at least 2 years. The rest smoked regular cigarettes for at least 2 years.

They were all asked to perform static cycling. During this, the responses of the heart, lungs and muscles were recorded. The exercises continued until they reached their maximum potential. They also had blood tests and ultrasound scans to analyze the functioning of their arteries.

Results

The maximal aerobic capacity of young people who smoked or vaped was similar, averaging 186 and 184 watts, respectively. However, it was lower than that of young people who did not smoke at all (226 watts).

Maximal aerobic capacity is a measure of the maximum physical activity a person can perform. At this level, young people who smoked e-cigarettes or regular cigarettes also had reduced oxygen uptake. On average, they consumed 2.7 and 2.6 liters per minute, respectively. However, young people who did not smoke had a maximum oxygen uptake of 3 liters per minute.

Young people who smoked or vaped were found to have blood vessels that did not function as well as those of non-smokers. In addition:

• They were more out of breath
• They had increased leg fatigue.
• They had higher levels of lactic acid in their blood even before they reached their maximal level of exercise (lactic acid levels are an indicator of muscle fatigue).

What do the results mean?

The findings were presented at the conference by a lecturer in cardiopulmonary physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University. He said previous studies had shown e-cigarettes were linked to inflammation and damage to the lungs. They were also linked to harmful changes in the blood vessels.

«While some studies suggest that vaping can be used to help people cut down or quit smoking, we don't know how it affects our bodies in the long term,” he added.

In the current study, young people who used e-cigarettes and those who used regular cigarettes showed no obvious signs of lung damage. However, “they had significant differences in how well they performed in exercise,” the expert said. They breathed harder and harder. Their muscles were more tired and they were less fit overall.” In this sense “Our study suggests that vaping is no better than smoking,” – he concluded.

The European Respiratory Society Congress will take place this year in Vienna from 7 to 11 September 2024. Results presented at medical conferences are considered preliminary until they are published in a medical journal.

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