Risk of oral, other diseases: Dual e-cigarette, cigarette use

The combined use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes could elevate the risk of certain diseases, including oral diseases.

In a meta-analysis published in NEJM Evidence, investigators used cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to examine the outcomes among individuals who smoked e-cigarettes, cigarettes or both.

Compared with those who smoked cigarettes, the individuals who smoked e-cigarettes had a comparable risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and metabolic dysfunction, but a lower risk of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and oral diseases. However, those who smoked both cigarettes and e-cigarettes had a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, metabolic dysfunction, asthma, COPD and oral diseases.

Because a large proportion of individuals who smoked reported dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, the findings highlighted the critical need to reassess the commonly held assumption that e-cigarette use carries a lower risk of negative disease outcomes. Further studies exploring longer-term outcomes may be needed to better understand the full harms of e-cigarette and dual use.

Read more: NEJM Evidence

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