Evidence of long-term smoking cessation benefits of e-cigarettes lacking: Research

Researchers have said though there is evidence that e-cigarettes significantly improve abstinence in the short term, there is little evidence that could support their effectiveness and smoking cessation benefits for longer periods.

Presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference, the study recommends use to other cessation aids currently available, which have a proven track record of being effective and safe at helping addicts reduce or abstain from smoking completely.

For the research, lead author Riyad al-Lehebi, MBBS, of the University of Toronto and performed meta-analysis of four studies of the efficacy and safety of e-cigarettes for promoting smoking cessation in 1011 patients and an additional 18 studies of the safety of e-cigarettes reporting adverse effects that occurred in 1212 patients.

The analysis revealed that at 1 month, e-cigarettes significantly improved the prevalence of abstinence among study subjects, but this effect was no longer observed at 3- or 6-month follow-ups. In one study, no significant difference in 6-month abstinence rates were observed between e-cigarettes and placebo or between e-cigarettes and the nicotine patch.

Adverse effects of e-cigarette use noted in the studies included dry cough, throat irritation, and shortness of breath. The incidence of serious adverse events did not differ between e-cigarettes and placebo e-cigarettes, but e-cigarette use was associated with a higher rate of adverse effects than the nicotine patch.

“Although e-cigarettes are widely promoted and used as a smoking cessation tool, we found no data supporting their long-term efficacy and safety,” said al-Lehebi. “Given the potential health risks of using these unproven and unregulated devices, individuals seeking help with smoking cessation should consider other more well-established options until more research is performed.”

Ravi