This is a finding that can clearly surprise most e-cigarette users who have quit tobacco. Indeed, in recent years, some studies have suggested an association between the use of e-cigarettes and depressive symptoms.
RECENT DATA CONFIRMS THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN E-CIGARETTE AND DEPRESSIVE STATE!
These are recent data from the French epidemiological cohort Constances which have just confirmed that e-cigarettes are associated with depressive symptoms, with a dose-dependent relationship and linked to the concentration of nicotine used.
« The objectives of this study were to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and the use of electronic cigarettes in a large sample of the population, while taking into account smoking and socio-demographic confounding factors. » Explain Emmanuel Wiernik, researcher at Inserm.
The Constances cohort includes volunteers aged 18 to 69 covered by the Cnam-ts. Participants were included from February 2012 to December 2016. Age, gender and education level were reported at the start of the study as well as smoking status (never smokers, former smokers, current smokers), use of electronic cigarette (never, old, current) and nicotine concentration in mg / ml.
"Nicotine concentration and depressive symptoms were positively associated"
Depressive symptoms were rated using the scale center for epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D). The associations between depressive symptoms and baseline e-cigarette use were adjusted for age, gender and education.
« The results, covering 35 subjects, showed that depressive symptoms (i.e. a CES-D score ≥ 337) were associated with current use of electronic cigarettes,
with a dose-dependent relationship. » highlights Emmanuel Wiernik. Furthermore, depressive symptoms were positively associated with nicotine concentration in e-cigarette users.
Likewise, in longitudinal analyzes (30 people followed up until 818), the depressive symptoms present at baseline were associated, during follow-up, with current use of electronic cigarettes (2017 [2,02-1,72 , 2,37]) with a dose-dependent relationship.
These associations were particularly significant among smokers or former smokers at baseline.
In people who smoked at the start of the study, depressive symptoms were associated with co-consumption (tobacco and e-cigarettes) at follow-up (1,58 [1,41-1,77]). In former smokers, they were associated either with smoking alone (1,52 [1,34-1,73]) or with the use of e-cigarettes alone (2,02 [1,64-2,49 ]), but not on the consumption of both.
« Depressive symptoms were positively associated with e-cigarette use in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyzes, with a dose-dependent relationship. In addition, nicotine concentration and depressive symptoms were positively associated, sums up Emmanuel Wiernik. En practice, in patients who are depressed, it is advisable to pay attention to their consumption of e-cigarettes (and / or tobacco); conversely in those who consume e-cigarettes (and / or tobacco), it is necessary to look for depressive symptoms ».
Source : lequotidiendumedecin.fr
Étude : Wiernik E et al. Electronic cigarette use is associated with depressive symptoms among smokers and former smokers: cross sectionnal and longitudinal findings from the Constances cohort. Addictive Behaviors 2019: 85-91
