Timothy Baker, PhD, emeritus professor, General Internal Medicine and research director, UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, and James Stein, MD, professor, Cardiovascular Medicine, have been awarded $1.8M over 4 years (R01 award) from the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for a proposal entitled, "E-Cigarette Effects on Markers of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease Risk."

Researchers are conducting a clinical study designed to relate the acute and long-term use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes to well-validated cardiovascular and pulmonary disease biomarkers.

A total of 440 volunteers will participate in the study, which involves equally sized groups of people who smoke cigarettes exclusively, people who only use e-cigarettes, people who both smoke and vape, and people who do not use either category of nicotine-containing product.

Data on cardiovascular function, pulmonary function, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other key outcomes will be measured and compared between groups.

"These data will serve as a foundation for future longitudinal investigations of E-cig health effects and will inform public policy decisions, clinical interventions, and patient guidance regarding E-cigarettes," write the researchers.

Dr. Stein is the Robert Turell Professor of Cardiovascular Research.

Resources:

• "E-Cigarette Effects ON Markers of Cardiovascular AND Pulmonary Disease Risk," NIH Grantome

Photo (top): Person using an e-cigarette, CC-BY-2.0 courtesy of TBEC Review.