Full switch to e-cigarettes shows measurable health benefits: Results from 8-year PATH study
A groundbreaking study has spurred discussion around the safety and benefits of e-cigarettes, exploring how different patterns of use affect people’s health and quality of life. This study, led by Dr. Liu Xiaona of the Small Institute, in collaboration with Professor Zhang Xuxi, Dr. Ian Fearon, Cao Yue and others, analyzed data on 7,225 American adults during an 8-year period (2013-2021). This is a comprehensive longitudinal investigation of tobacco use and health outcomes in the United States.
“Our study provides important evidence that compared to traditional smokers, exclusive e-cigarette users have a significantly higher quality of life, particularly in terms of physical health,” Dr. Liu explained. “While completely abstaining from all nicotine products shows the best health outcomes, our findings suggest that e-cigarettes may provide a less harmful alternative for those who are unable or choose not to quit smoking completely.”
The study revealed significant trends in tobacco use patterns, with pure combustible cigarette use falling from 40% to 32% between 2013 and 2021, while pure e-cigarette use increased from 2.2% to approximately 5%. Dual use remained stable at around 4% throughout the study period.
Using a complex 5-point scale measurement system, the researchers found that exclusive e-cigarette users reported significantly better results in multiple areas. Compared with traditional smokers, their fatigue scores were 0.07 points lower and their pain was 0.2 points lower. In addition, the overall quality of life score of e-cigarette users increased by 0.1 points.
“What makes these results particularly important,” Dr. Liu noted, “is their potential impact on public health strategies. Our data suggest that smokers who switch entirely to e-cigarettes may experience meaningful improvements in physical health, despite emotional health The results showed no significant differences between the groups.
Research also confirms that people who don’t smoke or vape consistently have better health across all categories. Non-smokers had the lowest fatigue frequency (less than 2.3 points out of 5) compared with smokers and e-cigarette users, who had fatigue frequencies between 2.2 and 2.5 points.
However, people who used both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes did not show significant health improvements. The study highlights that switching completely to e-cigarettes, rather than partially, is the key to experiencing these benefits.
The study’s findings are particularly relevant to public health efforts aimed at reducing smoking-related diseases. Unlike traditional cigarettes, which burn tobacco and release harmful chemicals, e-cigarettes heat a liquid to create a vapor that contains fewer dangerous substances.
While acknowledging limitations such as reliance on self-reported data and the need for long-term studies, this comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the potential role of e-cigarettes in harm reduction strategies. The research team emphasized the importance of continued investigation to better understand how different usage patterns affect long-term health outcomes.
Journal reference
Cao Y, Zhang X, Fearon IM, et al. “The impact of e-cigarette use patterns on health-related symptom burden and quality of life: analysis of data from the US Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.” Frontiers in Public Health, 2024.
About the author
Dr. Liu Xiaona Epidemiologist, currently serves as the head of clinical and behavioral sciences at the SMOORE Research Institute in China. Dr. Liu has worked as a senior physician in infection control at the local CDC office in China and as a postdoctoral researcher in health technology assessment and implementation at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands. She received her PhD in infectious disease control from Erasmus University Medical Center in 2015, her Master of Public Health from the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences in 2013, and her Master of Social Medicine from Peking University Health Science Center in 2011. He is the first and/or corresponding author of 22 scientific journal articles related to disease prevention and control. She has given more than 15 invited lectures at prestigious international conferences.
Dr. Zhang Xuxi Currently working in the Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, as an assistant professor. She received her bachelor’s degree (2014) and master’s degree in public health (2017) from Peking University. She received her Ph.D. Obtained a PhD in Public Health from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2020. She has published more than 30 scientific papers, with much of her work focused on promoting health in older adults with frailty, chronic disease, disability, cognitive impairment, and mental health.
Dr. Ian Phelan is a consultant specializing in the scientific evidence for tobacco harm reduction. He provides scientific advisory support to tobacco and nicotine product manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, helping them bring new harm reduction products to market and supporting their scientific advocacy. Dr. Fearon has authored nearly 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which in recent years have focused on the pharmacological and behavioral effects of nicotine-containing products on individuals and populations.
Ms. Cao Yue is a biostatistician currently working at the Small Institute in China, focusing on clinical and behavioral research on the effects of new tobacco products. Previously, she worked as a statistician at the National Kidney Disease Clinical Research Center and contributed to the development of the Chinese Kidney Disease Data System. Ms. Cao received a master’s degree in biostatistics from the Yale School of Public Health in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics from Tongji University in Shanghai in 2017. and experience.
