Vaping refers to the use of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, which are devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol that is then inhaled. Vaping has become increasingly popular as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, but there is growing concern about the potential health risks associated with vaping., has found that individuals who use electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, experience greater lung inflammation compared to cigarette smokers and non-smokers.
This is the first PET study to use a novel radiotracer, 18F-NOS, to compare lung inflammation between cigarette and e-cigarette users in vivo. Although PET imaging with 18F-FDG has been used in the past to investigate inflammation in smokers and vapers, its conclusions were limited. Summary of the pilot study and preliminary PET imaging findings. Credit: R Wetherill, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
E-cigarette users showed greater pulmonary inflammation than cigarette smokers and never-smoked/vaped controls. A positive association between pulmonary and peripheral measures of inflammation was also found, suggesting that e-cigarette use may increase pulmonary inflammation.