The Efficacy and Safety of Electronic Cigarettes: a 5-year Follow-up Study

The main aim of this multicentric 5-year follow-up study is to evaluate for the first time the long-term efficacy and safety (in terms of smoking-related serious diseases requiring hospitalization) of e-cigarette smoking, comparing its health effects with those of traditional cigarette smoking and mixed electronic and traditional cigarette smoking. The study will also permit to evaluate, over a 5-year follow-up, the self-reported quality of life, and the reported adverse events according to current and past smoking habit. Finally, the study will also explore the long-term adherence to e-cigarette smoking and its efficacy of e-cigarettes in reducing and/or quitting traditional cigarette smoking.

Sex

All

Minimum age

30 Years

Maximum age

80 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* resident into the Abruzzo and Lazio Region
* aged between 30 and 75 years;
* smoker of e-cigarettes (inhaling at least 50 puffs per week) containing nicotine since six or more months (E-cigarettes only Group);
* smoker of at least one traditional cigarette per day since six or more months (Traditional cigarettes only Group);
* smoker of both electronic and traditional cigarettes (at least one per day) since six or more months (Mixed Group).

Exclusion Criteria:

* illicit drug use,
* breastfeeding or pregnancy,
* major depression or other psychiatric conditions,
* severe allergies,
* active antihypertensive medication,
* angina pectoris,
* past episodes of major cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, stroke/TIA, congestive heart failure, COPD, cancer of the lung, esophagus, larynx, oral cavity, bladder, pancreas, kidney, stomach, cervix, and myeloid leukemia.

• BACKGROUNDManzoli L, La Vecchia C, Flacco ME, Capasso L, Simonetti V, Boccia S, Di Baldassarre A, Villari P, Mezzetti A, Cicolini G. Multicentric cohort study on the long-term efficacy and safety of electronic cigarettes: study design and methodology. BMC Public Health. 2013 Sep 24;13:883. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-883. PMID 24063569
• RESULTManzoli L, Flacco ME, Fiore M, La Vecchia C, Marzuillo C, Gualano MR, Liguori G, Cicolini G, Capasso L, D'Amario C, Boccia S, Siliquini R, Ricciardi W, Villari P. Electronic Cigarettes Efficacy and Safety at 12 Months: Cohort Study. PLoS One. 2015 Jun 10;10(6):e0129443. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129443. eCollection 2015. PMID 26061661
• RESULTManzoli L, Flacco ME, Ferrante M, La Vecchia C, Siliquini R, Ricciardi W, Marzuillo C, Villari P, Fiore M. A cohort study of electronic cigarette use: Effectiveness and safety at 24 months. Tobacco Control 2016 Jun 7 (epub ahead of print). (doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052822) Direct link: http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2016/06/06/tobaccocontrol-2015-052822.full
• DERIVEDManzoli L, Flacco ME, Ferrante M, La Vecchia C, Siliquini R, Ricciardi W, Marzuillo C, Villari P, Fiore M; ISLESE Working Group. Cohort study of electronic cigarette use: effectiveness and safety at 24 months. Tob Control. 2017 May;26(3):284-292. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052822. Epub 2016 Jun 6. PMID 27272748