REVIEW PAPER
E-smoking: Emerging public health problem?
 
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1
Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland (School of Medicine in Katowice, Department of Epidemiology)
2
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada (Canadian Center for Health and Safety in Agriculture, Department of Medicine)
3
Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland (School of Medicine in Katowice, Department of Pneumonology)
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Grzegorz Brożek   

Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Medicine in Katowice, Department of Epidemiology, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
Online publication date: 2017-03-10
 
Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(3):329–344
 
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ABSTRACT
E-cigarette use has become increasingly popular, especially among the young. Its long-term influence upon health is unknown. Aim of this review has been to present the current state of knowledge about the impact of e-cigarette use on health, with an emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe. During the preparation of this narrative review, the literature on e-cigarettes available within the network PubMed was retrieved and examined. In the final review, 64 research papers were included. We specifically assessed the construction and operation of the e-cigarette as well as the chemical composition of the e-liquid; the impact that vapor arising from the use of e-cigarette explored in experimental models in vitro; and short-term effects of use of e-cigarettes on users’ health. Among the substances inhaled by the e-smoker, there are several harmful products, such as: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acroleine, propanal, nicotine, acetone, o-methyl-benzaldehyde, carcinogenic nitrosamines. Results from experimental animal studies indicate the negative impact of e-cigarette exposure on test models, such as ascytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, airway hyper reactivity, airway remodeling, mucin production, apoptosis, and emphysematous changes. The short-term impact of e-cigarettes on human health has been studied mostly in experimental setting. Available evidence shows that the use of e-cigarettes may result in acute lung function responses (e.g., increase in impedance, peripheral airway flow resistance) and induce oxidative stress. Based on the current available evidence, e-cigarette use is associated with harmful biologic responses, although it may be less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(3):329–344
eISSN:1896-494X
ISSN:1232-1087