New research carried out by Carolyn Baglole, PhD, and her team at the Research Institute of the MUHC affirms that vaping e-cigarettes can lead to significant lung damage. In a recent study, mice were exposed to mango-flavored JUUL (a popular brand of e-cigarette) at a low dose for four weeks. It was discovered that even at this low level of exposure, significant cellular and molecular changes to the lungs occurred. This habit, once considered a harmless tool to aid in smoking cessation, and a safe alternative to smoking, is evidently not as innocuous as originally believed.
Our results show that inhalation of the vapor generated by a popular brand of e-cigarette causes widespread changes inside the lungs, data that further highlights that these products are not inert and may lead to lung damage if used long term.
Carolyn J. Baglole
The use of e-cigarettes is on the rise, and we must wait to see if this type of research and the ensuing discoveries will help decrease the interest in this pass-time. There is still much to be learned about the effects of vaping on the body; the full effect of which may take a decade or more to reveal itself. It is evidently a topic of interest for the general public, as indicated by the number of general-interest articles published below.
Read more:
How does vaping affect the lungs? McGill Newsroom. February 2, 2023.
Swapping Cigarettes for Vaping May Help You Quit — but There’s a Catch. Inverse. January 30, 2023.
Vaping ’causes lung damage just like smoking’ according to new research. Daily Record. January 25, 2023.
Vaping causes lung damage just like smoking cigarettes, new research claims. E-cigs found to cause cellular and molecular changes that could lead to disease over time. Coventry Live. January 25, 2023.
Vaping damages lungs just like cigarettes and even low exposure to e-cigarettes has impacts, research finds. National World. January 26, 2023.
How do e-cigarettes affect the lungs? EurekAlert! January 25, 2023.
Juul me once… ANOTHER study finds e-cigarettes cause DNA damage in the lungs that’s comparable to normal cigarettes. Daily Mail. January 25, 2023.
Vaping damages the lungs just like smoking cigarettes, new research claims. The health consequences of vaping are not known but new research sheds light into the widespread changes inside the lungs after vaping. Dublin Live. January 25, 2023.
Vapes Linked To Molecular And Cellular Changes In Lungs Of Mice. It adds to mounting evidence that e-cigarettes may not be a safe alternative to smoking. IFL Science. January 25, 2023.
Read the Publication:
Chronic low-level JUUL aerosol exposure causes pulmonary immunologic, transcriptomic, and proteomic changes. Been T, Alakhtar B, Traboulsi H, Tsering T, Bartolomucci A, Heimbach N, Paoli S, Burnier J, Mann KK, Eidelman DH, Baglole CJ. FASEB J. 2023 Feb;37(2):e22732. doi: 10.1096/fj.202201392R. PMID: 36694994.