Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, Catania 95125, Italy.
Department of Academic Respiratory Medicine, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Castle Road, Cottingham HU16 5JQ, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 May 8;11(5):4965-77. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110504965.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are marketed as safer alternatives to tobacco cigarettes and have shown to reduce their consumption. Here we report for the first time the effects of e-cigs on subjective and objective asthma parameters as well as tolerability in asthmatic smokers who quit or reduced their tobacco consumption by switching to these products. We retrospectively reviewed changes in spirometry data, airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR), asthma exacerbations and subjective asthma control in smoking asthmatics who switched to regular e-cig use. Measurements were taken prior to switching (baseline) and at two consecutive visits (Follow-up/1 at 6 (±1) and Follow-up/2 at 12 (±2) months). Eighteen smoking asthmatics (10 single users, eight dual users) were identified. Overall there were significant improvements in spirometry data, asthma control and AHR. These positive outcomes were noted in single and dual users. Reduction in exacerbation rates was reported, but was not significant. No severe adverse events were noted. This small retrospective study indicates that regular use of e-cigs to substitute smoking is associated with objective and subjective improvements in asthma outcomes. Considering that e-cig use is reportedly less harmful than conventional smoking and can lead to reduced cigarette consumption with subsequent improvements in asthma outcomes, this study shows that e-cigs can be a valid option for asthmatic patients who cannot quit smoking by other methods.
电子烟（e-cigs）被宣传为比传统香烟更安全的替代品，并已被证明可以减少其消费。在这里，我们首次报告了电子烟对哮喘吸烟者的主观和客观哮喘参数以及耐受性的影响，这些吸烟者通过改用这些产品来减少或减少烟草消费。我们回顾性地审查了吸烟哮喘患者改用常规电子烟使用后，肺功能数据、气道高反应性（AHR）、哮喘恶化和主观哮喘控制的变化。在转换之前（基线）和连续两次就诊（随访/1 在 6（±1）个月和随访/2 在 12（±2）个月）进行了测量。确定了 18 名吸烟哮喘患者（10 名单一使用者，8 名双重使用者）。总体而言，肺功能数据、哮喘控制和 AHR 均有显著改善。这些积极的结果在单一和双重使用者中均有发现。据报道，哮喘恶化率有所降低，但并不显著。未出现严重不良事件。这项小型回顾性研究表明，常规使用电子烟替代吸烟与哮喘结果的客观和主观改善有关。考虑到电子烟的使用据称比传统吸烟危害更小，并可以通过减少吸烟量来改善哮喘结果，因此这项研究表明，电子烟对于无法通过其他方法戒烟的哮喘患者来说是一个有效的选择。
