According to a new study published in theEuropean Respiratory Journal, the vapor emitted by electronic cigarettes increases the sensitivity to lung infections just like the smoke of traditional cigarettes. It took a short time before several experts denounced the methodology of this study which once again comes to harm the vaping.
WITH VAPOTAGE THE RESPIRATORY WAYS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO BACTERIA
A study of the'' Queen Mary University of London (Great Britain) reveals that vaping makes the airways as vulnerable to bacteria that adhere to airway cells as smoke from traditional cigarettes or from exhaust pipes, which increases the risk of respiratory infection in people the most vulnerable.
Researchers looked at the effects of vaping on a molecule produced by cells that lines the airways called PAFR (platelet factor receptor), which helps the bacteria that cause pneumonia to stick to the nose, throat and lungs. Previous studies have shown that PAFR levels increase in response to smoking, secondhand smoke and exhaust fumes.
To see if the effect was the same with e-cigarettes, they studied the cells that lined the noses of 17 e-cigarette users an hour after vaping. Of these, 10 were regular users of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, 1 used nicotine-free e-cigarettes, and 6 were not regular vapers. They then found that the LCP levels had tripled from normal levels.
A SATISFACTORY METHODOLOGY ACCORDING TO CERTAIN EXPERTS
Following this study, researchers suggest that people at high risk of pneumonia who would like to quit smoking instead opt for nicotine patches or gums as a smoking cessation aid. If the use of electronic cigarettes is clearly not without risks, they are nevertheless at least 95% less harmful than combustible cigarettes according to Public Health England.
Besides the professor Peter Hajek, Director of the Tobacco Addiction Research Unit, QMUL, said following the study:
« It's a shame the study didn't compare its cellular effects with those of smoking. The effects of e-cigarette aerosol have been compared to the effects of clean air but it was 
more important to compare it with smoking. Regardless of the comparator, we don't really know if there is anything alarming about these results. The most relevant part of the article concerns cells taken from people who do notdo not smoke or vape. There was no difference in LCP levels between vapers and non-vapers in the main samples ! The study only noted a transient acute effect after vaping. How can this translate into health? It is not very clear. Data from people, as opposed to cells and animals exposed in very different ways, show no sign of an increased vulnerability to infections from vapers following e-cigarette use. In fact, results point in the opposite direction, previous work suggests smokers who switched from tobacco to vaping report no increase, but rather a significant decrease in respiratory infections "
For the teacher Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine, Imperial College London, this study should not be used to compare vaping with smoking:
« The results of this study with cells grown in the lab and mice suggest that vaping could make the cells lining the airways more sticky and therefore more susceptible to bacterial colonization, but this remains indirect evidence that vaping may increase the risk. lung infection in humans. While it is possible that vaping can increase the risk of pneumonia, the risk is clearly lower than with smoking. We need more research to determine if vaping compared to smoking may increase the risk of pneumonia. This study should not be used to pressure smokers not to use e-cigarettes. To date, there is evidence that electronic cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking. »
Source : Topsante.com - Sciencemediacentre.org
