Vaping May Increase Pneumonia Risk, New Research Suggests

While researchers continue to debate the potential benefits of vaping over smoking, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal has found that vaping electronic cigarettes may increase one’s risk of contracting pneumonia.

The study, which was published on February 8, 2018, did not directly compare vaping e-cigs to smoking conventional cigarettes.

According to their research, the vapor produced by e-cigarettes might aid bacteria in sticking to the cells that line the airways of the human respiratory system. Subsequently, vapers may be at higher risk of contracting pneumonia – a lung disease caused by viral or bacterial infection that results in lung inflammation as a result of the lung’s air sacs filling with pus.

Pneumonia is characterized by difficulty breathing, blood-tinged phlegm, and fever.

In short, the researchers found the vapor produced by e-cigs to increase bacteria adhesion in the airways. This type of adhesion, the ability for bacteria to stick to the airway cells, has been previously linked to an increase in disease susceptibility.

Study co-author Jonathan Grigg with Queen Mary University of London was quoted by the AFP as having said that the study adds to a growing body of evidence “that inhaling vapor has the potential to cause adverse health effects.”

“Some people may be vaping because they think it is totally safe, or in an attempt to quit smoking, but this study adds to growing evidence that inhaling vapor has the potential to cause adverse health effects.”

While the researchers behind the study theorized based on their study’s findings that vaping may increase the risk of developing pneumonia, experimental medicine professor Peter Openshaw with Imperial College London was quick to point out that the evidence of increased lung infection risk as a result of vaping was “indirect” and that while “it is possible that vaping might increase susceptibility to pneumonia, the effect is likely to be lower than from smoking itself.”

“Although it is possible that vaping might increase susceptibility to pneumonia, the effect is likely to be lower than from smoking itself.”

Openshaw, who was not involved in the study, added that the study’s findings “should not be used as a reason to continue to smoke rather than vape” in light of the current evidence which shows e-cigarettes to be “far less harmful than smoking.”

“This study should not be used as a reason to continue to smoke rather than vape –- the evidence to date is that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking.”

Just how much less harmful is vaping than smoking? Based on Public Health England’s latest e-cig evidence review, vaping is somewhere around 95% less harmful than smoking.

In other vape related health news, researchers have identified three potentially toxic e-juice flavorings that vapers may want to avoid.