Switching to E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products Reduces Vascular Damage and Smoking-Related Illnesses: Study

Researchers from the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) involved in the Replica project have discovered that switching to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products can reduce the incidence of vascular damage and smoking-related diseases. The findings challenge the prevailing misconception that using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products is just as harmful as smoking.

The study has been published by an independent laboratory affiliated with the Replica Project, whose scientists are world leaders in harm reduction. The latest research assessed the damage caused to endothelial cells, which release substances that control the dilation and contraction of blood vessels, by cigarette smoke compared to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Damage to the inner lining of blood vessels known as endothelial damage is a primary pathology that leads to diseases such as atherosclerosis, with smoking being the main culprit. Smoking can impair the normal function of the endothelium, cause damage to the vascular system, and lead to the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Smoking and exposure to smoke toxins are related to the impairment of the repair mechanism needed for endothelial homeostasis, such as the inhibition of endothelial cell migration.

Reducing exposure to smoke toxins may mitigate the harmful effects on endothelial and cardiovascular disease development. Numerous international studies have investigated the impact of smoking on endothelial cell migration and associated vascular damage, particularly a study by Taylor et al. (2017). Compared to cigarette smoke, exposure to electronic cigarette aerosol significantly reduces inhibition of in vitro (in a test tube) endothelial cell migration. This means that endothelial cells exposed to electronic cigarette aerosol retain their ability to effectively heal small wounds in blood vessels, unlike those exposed to cigarette smoke and toxins, which severely limit their wound repair capacity.

One of CoEHAR's most successful projects is the Replica project, in which researchers have replicated some of the most significant international studies in the field of reducing tobacco harm via an independent laboratory network. They have demonstrated a reduction in the toxicity of electronic cigarettes and have established reference standards for scientific research. The goal of CoEHAR's scientists is to conduct a multicenter replication study to validate the results of Taylor and his colleagues.

A study titled "Comparative evaluation of e-cigarette aerosol and cigarette smoke on endothelial cell migration: a replication study" compared the effects of three commercial e-cigarette delivery systems and traditional cigarettes. Following international scientific standards and utilizing the latest technology and tools, the data collected by researchers at CoEHAR confirmed the findings of Taylor and colleagues: e-cigarettes do not induce inhibition of endothelial cell migration in vitro compared to cigarette smoke, thus reducing harm caused by tobacco smoke. Furthermore, CoEHAR researchers compared the results of two different heated tobacco products, which demonstrated significantly less impact than observed with cigarette smoke.

According to Professor Massimo Caruso, co-project leader of the Replica initiative, "As previously demonstrated by the Replica research team, the harm caused by electronic nicotine delivery systems is significantly lower than the harm caused by cigarette smoke. An interesting fact is that using non-combustible products can reduce vascular damage and prevent the likelihood of smoking-related diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Our research once again challenges the notion that electronic cigarettes or heated tobacco will cause similar damage to combustible cigarettes.

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