Vaping And Smoking Cause Identical Immunity Suppression

STATES CHRONICLE – Presently, most people believe that e-cigarettes are a safe and less toxic alternative to regular smoking. However, they have been made available to the public for a far too little time. Several extensive tests on the effects of vaping on people’s health have not yet been fully performed.

A new study now shows that e-cigarette users have a decreased expression of immune-related genes. Cigarette smokers also have reduced expression of immune-related genes, and all the genes which are affected by smoking appear to be affected by e-cigarette smoking.

The more surprising aspect of the study, however, is that e-cigarette users have even more immune-related genes affected, and the rate of affection is actually increased for them.

The study focused on gathering data from three groups.

The first group was comprised of non-smokers. For the duration of the study, exposure to secondhand smoke was kept at the minimum.

Members of the second study group were all active cigarette smokers.

Active e-cigarette users formed the third group.

Individuals who both smoked and used e-cigarettes were explicitly not allowed to participate.

All the participants in the study also had to be healthy individuals under the age of 50.

The participants had to keep logs of smoking and usage, give urine and blood samples, and, a month into the study, nasal passage mucosa samples were also made available.

The study results are not demonstrating that vaping affects health in the same way that smoking does. The full effects of vaping are still being researched. This study is revealing that using e-cigarettes is not an entirely healthy alternative. Immune systems, primarily, are negatively affected by vaping.

Data accumulated from several previous long-term studies have demonstrated that smoking and secondhand smoke exposure both are a significant increase in the risk of bacterial infection. Direct and indirect exposure to smoking has varying degrees of effect in regards to suppressing immunity.

The same immune-related genes which are affected by cigarette smoking are influenced by e-cigarette using but at a faster rate. And using e-cigarettes is currently believed to have an impact on a broader spectrum of immune-related genes. While vaping is considered to be safer for the user and those around him, as well as less of threat in increasing the risk of cancer, long-term adverse effects on the immune system is still a critical health hazard.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia.