Study: E-cigarettes are linked to lung cancer

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Experts have promoted e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, and some companies claim that their products are not linked to cancer, but a new study turns this idea upside down.

In a study considered the first of its kind, Korean researchers analyzed the health data of 4.3 million former smokers for the years 2012-2014 as well as 2018, and found that those who switched to using e-cigarettes were twice as likely to die from lung cancer.

The researchers found that 53,350 people developed lung cancer and 6,350 died from the disease.

The findings raise questions about health initiatives around the world, including encouraging smokers to switch to e-cigarettes to prevent lung disease.

Study author Dr. Yoon-wook Kim, a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, said the results show that the "potential harms" of e-cigarette use should be taken into account by doctors when discussing smoking cessation with patients.

Regular cigarettes contain more than 7,000 chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic, while e-cigarettes are believed to contain about 2,000 chemicals and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide (one of the most harmful elements found in tobacco smoke).

The concern with e-cigarettes is the chemical reactions between the liquid and the metal, which lead to the release of toxic metals, such as arsenic, chromium, nickel and lead.

Recent studies have found that these minerals are associated with a large number of negative health effects, such as pneumonia that causes wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

The study was presented at the 2024 American Thoracic Society International Congress, and its abstract was published in the American Journal of Critical Care Medicine.