A recent study by the University of California found that certain chemicals in e-cigarettes are linked to eyesight damage. The study titled “Association Between E-Cigarette Use and Visual Impairment in the United States” was using data collected between 2016 and 2018 from 1,173,646 adults aged 18 years and 50 years.
The analysis of the data showed that people who used e-cigarettes were 34% like to get visual impairment. Those who did not vape had a 14% chance of contracting visual impairment. The team carrying out the study conclude that the finding of this study is evidence that some of the solvents in vaping products chemically damage the eye. They believe that solvents in e-cigarettes cause oxidative stress in the body of people who use vaping products and injure the tear ducts. These two are linked to the slow deterioration of the individual’s eyesight.
Another study published in the Journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research by UCLA looked at the advantages of using e-cigarettes and vaping products over traditional cigarettes. The study further investigated the impact of damping cigarettes for e-cigarettes on lowering the risks for cardiovascular diseases. The study concluded that e-cigarettes were relatively safe.
The study conducted by a team of researchers from the Boston University, the University of Texas and UCLA titled “Associations of Smokeless Tobacco Use With Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Insights From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study” delved deeper into the role of e-cigarettes in reducing cardiovascular risks. The study also used a nationwide sample which provided more balanced results.
The team of researchers focused on analyzing data collected from 4,347 adults nationally who provided their blood samples and urine for the population assessment of the Tobacco and Health (Path) study in 2013-2014. Of the sample collected, 975 samples were from non-smokers who had never used any tobacco product, 338 only used vaping products while the remaining 3,034 smoked tobacco exclusively.
The study reveals that while samples from both cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users had the same nicotine levels, those from e-cigarette users had lower biomarkers for the various diseases. The lead researcher Professor Mary Rezk-Hanna said that: “Our findings show that despite having higher levels of nicotine, exclusive smokeless tobacco users had significantly lower concentrations of inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers than cigarette smokers. Levels of these biomarkers among smokeless tobacco users were similar to those of ‘never’ smokers.”
