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E-cigarette worsens asthma: Research

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Certain flavoured ecigarette­s, even without nicotine, may change how airways, affected by the allergic disease, function, thus worsening the severity of diseases such as asthma, say researcher­s. For the first time, a model of asthma was used to investigat­e the effect of a range of popular e-cigarette flavours, with and without nicotine.

“This is especially important for those with respirator­y disease, who a vulnerable to the effects of smoking,” Dr Chapman sa

“The majority of e-cigar smokers use flavoured liquids but there is some evidence that flavour additives can be toxic when inhaled,” said Dr David Chapman from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia. The use of ecigarette­s has dramatical­ly increased in the past few years, especially among younger smokers globally. Despite the suggestion, they are a healthier alternativ­e to tobacco cigarettes, there is a ck of evidence in both animal udies and human data on the ect of e-cigarettes on lung nction.The researcher­s nd that some of these, even he absence of nicotine, can rsen disease severity. “The ct effects on features of hma were dependent upon specific flavour, suggesting all flavoured e-cigarettes have the same equences on lung health,” hapman said. aution should be taken in promoting the use of flavoured e-cigarettes to patients with respirator­y disease such as asthma and that policymake­r should consider restrictin­g the use of flavoured e-cigarettes, the team added.

 ?? PHOTO: ISTOCK ??
PHOTO: ISTOCK

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