A Scoping Review of the Effects of E-Cigarette Use on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Lung Function in Young Adults

The surge in e-cigarette use among young people worldwide has become a major public health issue. However, its impact on outcomes important to young people, such as cardiorespiratory fitness, is still not fully understood. This review aims to determine the effects of e-cigarette use on cardiorespiratory fitness in young people.

A systematic search was conducted across PubMed and Embase to identify relevant studies. Original articles assessing the effects of e-cigarettes on cardiorespiratory fitness and lung function in young adults were considered. Data were extracted regarding the study design, participant characteristics, exposure conditions (eg, chronic or acute e-cigarette use), key findings, and study limitations. A narrative synthesis approach was used to present a descriptive summary of study characteristics, results, and limitations. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Chronic e-cigarette users demonstrated lower cardiorespiratory fitness compared with nonusers, while acute vaping currently shows no association with cardiorespiratory fitness, although conclusions are limited by the small number of available studies. Chronic vaping is associated with subtle small-airway and pulmonary physiological alterations, although evidence for long-term lung function impairment remains inconclusive, whereas acute vaping causes transient lung function changes.

Future research should adopt prospective study designs, realistic vaping sessions, and validated abstinence periods in primarily e-cigarette users. Addressing these methodological gaps is critical for guiding public health efforts to mitigate potential risks associated with e-cigarette use among young people.