The use of electronic cigarettes, known as vapes, is linked to changes in lung capacity, whose effects may be more severe than those caused by conventional cigarettes. Researchers from the Postgraduate Program in Health Technology (PPGTS) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR) and the Integrated Colleges of Taquara (FACCAT-RS) published a study in the journal Fisioterapia em Movimento, scheduled for Friday (02), which points out that individuals who use vapes exhibit alterations consistent with initial manifestations of airflow obstruction, a pattern that, in the long term, can lead to conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
To compare lung function between electronic cigarette users, tobacco smokers, and non-smokers, scientists applied spirometry to 45 participants, aged between 18 and 40, distributed into three groups of 15 people. Spirometry assesses the volume of air expelled in the first second of forced expiration (FEV1) and the total volume of air exhaled during the test (TLC). These metrics, along with the FEV1/TLC ratio, are important indicators of lung health and can suggest airflow restriction.
The results obtained demonstrated greater damage to lung function in electronic cigarette users. These individuals exhale less air in the first second compared to non-smokers and, proportionally to the total exhaled, also less than tobacco smokers. This means that air is released, but more slowly, characterizing an initial sign of respiratory tract obstruction. Such findings question the popular belief that electronic cigarettes represent a safer option than traditional cigarettes.
Emmanuel Souza da Rocha, a researcher at PPGTS at PUCPR and co-author of the study, stated that the data reveal a pulmonary compromise that occurs subtly and early. He commented: 'Many young people start using electronic cigarettes believing they are making a harmless choice. Our findings show the opposite; even in a young and healthy group, vape users already show signs of pulmonary obstruction greater than those of common cigarette smokers. The lung was not made to receive this type of vapor.'
Furthermore, participants reported symptoms; most vape users mentioned a deterioration in health after starting to use the device, with coughing being the most common symptom. On average, these users were 21 years old and had been using electronic cigarettes for almost eight years.
These findings corroborate other research that has documented pulmonary changes in electronic cigarette consumers, reinforcing the urgency of scientific awareness, prevention, and oversight. The researcher concluded: 'Electronic cigarettes have been incorporated into the daily lives of many young people with the perception that their risks would be lower than those of conventional cigarettes. The absence of combustion smoke does not mean the absence of effects on the body. We still need to understand what the consequences of prolonged use are, but the available results justify that electronic cigarettes should be treated with caution and that their use should not be presented as risk-free.'