E-cigarettes ‘CAN trigger deadly lung disease – just like cigarettes’, experts warn
VAPING could cause the same deadly lung diseases as smoking, experts have warned.
E-cigarettes appear to trigger the same responses in the body, that can lead to various disease including inflammatory lung disease and asthma.
And the device could also be linked to inflammatory conditions like lupus, psoriasis and vasculitis, a new study has suggested.
Scientists at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill believe theirs is the first piece of research to use actual samples of human airways to explore the potential harmful effects of e-cigarettes.
Dr Mehmet Kesimer, an associate professor of pathology, said: "There is confusion about whether e-cigarettes are 'safer' than cigarettes because the potential adverse effects are only beginning to be studied.
";Our results suggest that e-cigarettes might just be as bad as cigarettes."
The study was small, looking at 15 e-cigarette users, 14 regular smokers and 15 non-smokers.
But researchers said it should pave the way for more investigations.
Public Health England's major review of the devices, determined e-cigarettes are 95 per cent less harmful than regular cigarettes - and could help smokers quit.
The Royal College of Physicians agrees, and last year concluded vaping is likely to be beneficial to public health.
But, the devices are still relatively new and critics say not enough research has been carried out to determine their potential dangers.
The rechargeable gadgets sell for as little as £5, and give a nicotine hit but with no tobacco toxins.
Tests have shown e-cigarettes could be as bad for your heart as fags, causing damage to key blood vessels.
Our results suggest that e-cigarettes might just be as bad as cigarettes
Dr Mehmet Kesimer
And the devices have been dogged by concerns over their effectiveness and fears they may act as a gateway to smoking, encouraging non-smokers to tobacco.
The new study found e-cigarette users had significantly higher levels of proteins in their airways that are linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis.
And the same proteins have also been linked to cell death in the tissues lining the blood vessels and organs.
The study's authors note more research is needed to see if this increase of proteins could be linked to diseases including lupus, vasculitis and psoriasis.
They also found vaping causes some of the same negative results as cigarettes.
Both smokers and vapers had significant increases of mucus secretions linked to chronic bronchitis, asthma and wheeze.
Dr Keismer said: "Our data shows that e-cigarettes have a signature of harm in the lung that is both similar and unique, which challenges the concept that switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes is a healthier alternative."
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The new findings are published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
In September a study found just one puff on an e-cigarette could increase a vaper's risk of heart attack.
Earlier this year another piece of research warned of damage to your heart, with e-cigarettes found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
But, other studies have hailed the devices a smoking cessation aid.
In July US scientists found e-cigarettes do help smokers quit their habit, and encouraged more people to switch to vaping "for the sake of their health".
