Researchers at the Center of Excellence for Accelerated Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) in Catania, Italy, recently published a study comparing lung inflammation in smokers and non-smokers, and the results did not prove any cause-and-effect relationship between e-cigarette use and lung damage relation.
The study used a novel biomarker, cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), in airway epithelial cells, to assess levels of oxidative stress in the lungs. Oxidative stress is one of the major contributors to lung inflammation and damage.
The researchers collected saliva samples from 114 volunteers, including 30 who had never smoked, 30 who used e-cigarettes only, 26 who used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, and 28 who used only traditional cigarettes. By analyzing CYP1A1 levels in saliva, they found no significant difference between never-smokers and e-cigarette only users, while CYP1A1 levels were significantly higher in both e-cigarette and traditional cigarette users and traditional cigarette users only.
This suggests that e-cigarettes do not increase oxidative stress in the lungs, nor do they cause inflammation and damage to the lungs. Instead, traditional cigarettes are the main cause of these problems. Therefore, e-cigarettes can be used as a harm reduction alternative to help smokers reduce their health risks.
Dr. Riccardo Polosa, a well-known scientist and founder of CoEHAR, one of the lead authors of the study, said the study provides strong evidence for the safety of e-cigarettes and supports their potential for smoking cessation and harm reduction . He called on the government and public health agencies to formulate reasonable policies based on scientific facts instead of unreasonably restricting and stigmatizing e-cigarettes.
The study has been published in the international journal “Journal of Respiratory and Environmental Medicine”
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