“The potential harms of using e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking need to be considered,” the research authors said.
In recent years, electronic cigarettes, also called vapers or vapers, have gained great popularity worldwide.
These are devices that use a battery to heat liquids until they become an aerosol that can be inhaled. Even though their fans often claim that they are safer than traditional cigarettes, scientific studies suggest that they could still have harmful consequences on health.
According to a recent study conducted in South Korea, Ex-smokers who then switch to e-cigarettes are more likely to suffer from lung cancer in the future.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/copesa/ZPDKTABAZJC3FJK7IQDSV4KLSY.png)
The relationship between vaping and lung cancer
During the study, researchers tested more than 4 million people in South Korea. Participants were used to smoking conventional tobacco and had participated in a national health program during the period 2012-2014 and 2018.
They then followed them until 2021 and classified them into groups, according to their smoking habits.
During follow-up, researchers identified that During this entire period, 53,354 people suffered from lung cancer and 6,351 died from it.
One of the main findings of the study was that those who smoked conventional cigarettes, quit them for more than five years and then switched to vapes had a higher risk of developing lung cancer and dying, compared to former smokers. had stopped smoking for more than five years and who had not used vaping as an alternative.
The scientists also found that the risk was higher among former smokers aged 50 to 80 who had also smoked for 20 pack-years or more.
“This is the first large-scale study demonstrating the increased risk of lung cancer in e-cigarette users after quitting smoking.” said Dr. Yeon Wook Kim of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and author of the study.
“Our results indicate that when integrating smoking cessation interventions to reduce lung cancer risk, the potential harms of using e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking should be taken into account,” added the researcher. .
The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2024 Conference held in San Diego, USA.
Source: Latercera
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
