CoEHAR researchers published a new protocol for an umbrella review to present all the evidence available on the respiratory effects of ENDS use by adults based on their pattern of use
Electronic nicotine delivery systems have now become a well-established choice for many smokers and vapers. These devices, according to a growing body of studies and researches, result in lower exposure to toxins and harmful components compared to cigarette smoke.
However, at the same time, users’ preferences lean toward different types and patterns of consumption. Some people who use ENDS also smoke cigarettes (dual use). Other people who formerly smoked cigarettes are completely substituting ENDS (exclusive use). A small number of people who have never smoked cigarettes are using ENDS (naïve use of nicotine).
CoEHAR researchers have thus questioned whether these usage patterns could have different effects, or no effects at all, on the respiratory health of users. To verify data, they conducted a systematic review of studies published after 2019, searching across 4 databases and 3 gray literature sources.
The aim of the review “Patterns of Use of e-Cigarettes and Their Respiratory Effects: Protocol for an Umbrella Review“, for which the protocol has just been published, is to provide clinicians with a detailed analysis of how different patterns of ENDS use impact respiratory functioning and to point to the best sources of evidence.
The researchers (Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa, Riccardo Polosa e Renee O’Leary) will publish the findings in December 2024 and will document biases in 3 areas: protocol deviations, biases from the Oxford Catalogue of Bias, and internal data discrepancies.