According to the research, by experts at UTHealth Houston in the United States, adults who did not have asthma at the start of the study and reported using e-cigarettes for only 30 days increased their risk of developing the disease.
“Measuring the potential risk of an earlier age of onset of asthma in relation to using e-cigarettes for about a month may help people quit,” first author Adriana Perez, professor of biostatistics and data science at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, noted.
Our research, she stressed, also highlights the importance of modifying screening guidelines to incorporate recent e-cigarette use, which could lead to earlier detection and treatment of asthma, reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the health burden of asthma results in $300 billion in annual losses due to lost school or work days, mortality, and medical costs.
To reach their conclusions, the team analyzed secondary data from the U.S. Tobacco and Health Population Assessment Study.
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