Association of Cigarette-E-Cigarette Transitions With Respiratory Symptom Resolution

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Respiratory Medicine
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Adults increasingly use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation due to perceived lower risk.
• While e-cigarettes reduce toxicant exposure versus smoking, their impact on respiratory symptom resolution is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between transitioning from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and the resolution of respiratory symptoms (cough and wheeze).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study (waves 1-5).
• Inclusion of adult participants exclusively smoking at baseline with reported cough or wheeze.
• Use of mixed-effect Poisson models to assess transitions (smoking to nonuse, exclusive e-cigarette use, continued smoking, dual use) and symptom resolution.

Main Results:

• Transitioning from cigarettes to exclusive e-cigarette use was linked to higher rates of wheeze resolution (IRR=1.33, CI=1.01-1.75).
• No significant association was found for cough resolution when switching to e-cigarettes.
• Dual use without reduced cigarette smoking intensity showed decreased respiratory symptom resolution rates compared to persistent smoking.

Conclusions:

• Complete transition to e-cigarettes may aid respiratory symptom resolution, particularly wheezing.
• Initiating e-cigarette use without reducing cigarette smoking poses risks for respiratory health.
• Evidence supports cautious consideration of e-cigarette-assisted cessation by public health agencies.