A recent report indicates that there may be a link between e-liquids that include glycerin and propylene glycol with lung inflammation. However, the report also highlighted the need for further investigation to help researchers understand the degree of lung inflammation that a vaper may be exposed to over a long period.
This report was published in the Cancer Prevention Research journal in October 2019. According to the report, people who had not previously smoked experience that began vaping two times daily over the space of a month were discovered to be exposed to lung inflammation. It also linked the changes in the number of inflammatory cells discovered in the patients with the levels of propylene glycol in their bodies. However, the degree of these changes was insignificant.
According to researchers, this study on the effects of vaping on the inflammation of lungs in the human body is the first to be carried out. However, the conclusion of the study was not surprising to an experienced health oncologist in Ohio with a profound understanding of lung cancer. As the lead researcher of this report, he indicated that it is obvious that inhaling anything will eventually affect the lungs. Hence, he concluded that the findings of the research are simply additional information that is supporting an obvious outcome.
He refused to conclude that using an electronic cigarette is harmful to human health. However, he stated that if you have no smoking experience, it is safer to abstain from vaping because of its effects on the lungs.
Though the publication of this report was coincidentally at the same time that a lot of vapers were being diagnosed with lung injuries, the lead researcher insisted that there was no link between the research and the lung damage outbreak. The majority of the patients suffering from a lung injury at that time had a history of consuming THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Others were reported to have used products containing nicotine exclusively before the injury. In other cases, diagnosed patients were described to have used both nicotine products and tetrahydrocannabinol.
The recent report focused on studying vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. Both substances are present in most electronic liquids available in the market. They also contain e-liquid flavors and nicotine. However, the lead researcher admitted that they were unable to identify the role e-cigs that contain nicotine play in serious respiratory conditions. He also stated that the research team is focused on identifying issues that are only caused by e-cigs and not by traditional cigarettes.
Thirty adults between the age of 21 and 30 without vaping experience or histories of traditional smoking were subject to this study. The volunteers were allocated into 2 categories. The first was called a “control group” while the second was directed to vape at least two times daily for the space of a month. The second category was also instructed to take a minimum of 20 puffs for an hour every time they vaped.
The research team noticed no substantial variances in the proteins and inflammatory cell concentration in the lungs of the patients in either category. However, a trace of propylene glycol was discovered in the inflammatory cells of the second category.
Leave a Comment