People who use e-cigarettes have a higher risk of developing chronic lung diseases, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Researchers analyzed 2013-16 data on more than 32,000 adults from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health, a longitudinal study on tobacco use.
In 2013, none of the study participants showed symptoms of lung disease. However, e-cigarette users were 30 percent more likely to have a chronic lung condition — like asthma or emphysema — than nonsmokers by 2016.
"E-cigarette use predicted the development of lung disease over a very short period of time. It only took three years," study author Stanton Glantz, PhD, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, told NBC News.
The publication noted this is the first longitudinal study assessing the long-term effects of e-cigarettes.
To view the full study, click here.
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