Abstract
AbstractElectronic cigarette (EC) aerosol emissions generally contain fewer and lower concentrations of harmful and potentially harmful constituents, compared with cigarette smoke. Further studies are needed to establish whether decreased emissions translate to reduced health risks for EC users. In a cross-sectional study, biomarkers of exposure (BoE) to certain tobacco smoke toxicants and biomarkers of potential harm (BoPH), associated with biological processes linked to the potential development of smoking-related diseases and oxidative stress, were assessed in solus Vuse ECs users and current, former, and never smokers. In total, 213 participants were enrolled, and smoking status was confirmed by urinary cotinine, exhaled carbon monoxide, and N-(2-cyanoethyl)valine levels (EC users and former smokers only). During confinement participants used their usual product (EC or cigarette) as normal and BoE and BoPHs were assessed via blood, 24-h urine, and physiological assessment. Significantly lower levels of all urinary BoE; MHBMA, HMPMA, 3-HPMA, NNN, 3-OH-B[a]P, S-PMA, NNAL (all p < 0.0001), and TNeq (p = 0.0074) were observed in EC users when compared with smokers. Moreover, significantly lower levels were observed in EC users for 3 of the 7 BoPH measured, carboxyhaemoglobin (p < 0.0001), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (p = 0.0028), and 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (p = 0.0012), when compared with smokers. As compared with smokers, solus Vuse EC users have significantly lower exposure to tobacco toxicants for the BoE, and 3 BoPH measured. These results add to the weight of evidence supporting EC as part of a tobacco harm reduction strategy.
Funder
British American Tobacco Ltd
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Emergency Medicine,Internal Medicine
Reference57 articles.
1. US Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking-50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA). 2014.
2. Perfetti T, Rodgman A (2011) The complexity of tobacco and tobacco smoke. Beitr Tab Int/Contrib Tob Res 24:215–232. https://doi.org/10.2478/cttr-2013-0902
3. FDA. Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents in Tobacco Products and Tobacco Smoke: Established List. 2012. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/rules-regulations-and-guidance/harmful-and-potentially-harmful-constituents-tobacco-products-and-tobacco-smoke-established-list.
4. Doll R, Peto R, Wheatley K, Gray R, Sutherland I (1994) Mortality in relation to smoking: 40 years’ observations on male British doctors. BMJ 309(6959):901–911. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.309.6959.901
5. Institute of Medicine (US). Clearing the Smoke: Assessing the Science Base for Tobacco Harm Reduction (Stratton K, Shetty P, Wallace R, Bondurant S, editors). Washington (DC): National Academies Press 2001.