Study suggests e-cigarette use may increase risk of inflammatory diseases

The Daily Mail reported on research at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill which found that e-cigarette smokers are likely to develop dangerous proteins associated with COPD and cystic fibrosis. Based on observations of 15 e-cigarette users, 14 cigarette smokers, and 15 nonsmokers, the researchers found e-cigarette use was associated with “elevated levels of neutrophil-extracellular-trap (NET)-related proteins” in the airways. These could cause inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, lupus, and vasculitis. Study author Dr Mehmet Kesimer said, “Our results suggest that e-cigarettes might be just as bad as cigarettes.” He said his analysis also “challenges the concept that switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes is a healthier alternative.”