How e-cigarettes take their toll on your lungs

Washington DC: E-cigarette research is heating up and scientists are starting to show that vaping can have some surprising health effects. Now, a recent study has suggested that they have immediate effects on the pulmonary function in healthy and mild asthmatic young smokers.

In a study of 54 young cigarette and e-cigarettes smokers, 27 had mild controlled asthma and the others were otherwise healthy.

Measurements of airway obstruction (oscillometry) and inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide) were worse after e-cigarette sessions, and these findings were more severe in asthmatics.

"These results show that as it happens with cigarette smoking, e-cigarette smoking has more deleterious short-term effects on asthmatics compared with healthy smokers," said Dr. Andreas Lappas of the Hellenic Cancer Society, Athens, Greece.

Additionally, Lappas noted that this research adds to the growing body of research pointing to the dangers of e-cigarettes. Especially for asthma, further research is needed in order to assess the risks of long-term e-cigarette use.

The researchers will report this study at CHEST World Congress.