Lung Disorders: Can E-Cigarettes Help You Quit?

Have received my regular update from Johns Hopkins Health Alerts today and I think it is a good subject to share .

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Johns Hopkins Health Alerts: Lung Disorders

* E-cigarettes: Another Option to Help You Quit Smoking?

If you have lung disease and you're a smoker, you undoubtedly know the
importance of breaking the cigarette habit. You may even have tried to
quit smoking before but to no avail. Could electronic cigarettes --
also known as e-cigarettes -- be the answer?

These battery-powered devices look like real cigarettes, have a
light-emitting diode (LED) on the tip that lights up when you inhale
and even produce fake smoke in the form of water vapor. They also
deliver nicotine via cartridges, but spare you the tar, carbon
monoxide, formaldehyde and other toxins found in tobacco smoke.

If e-cigarettes sound too good to be true, that's because they
probably are. With a dearth of rigorous studies on their safety and
effectiveness, experts are increasingly concerned that e-cigarettes
may do little to help you stop smoking -- and may actually do more
harm than good.

Some manufacturers of e-cigarettes tout their products as an effective
form of nicotine replacement therapy. And, in theory, they could work,
since the principle is the same. The e-cigarette's cartridges are
available in progressively lower concentrations of nicotine, so you
can wean yourself off nicotine over time just like with traditional
nicotine replacement products.

So what's the problem? For one thing, some e-cigarettes may not
deliver enough nicotine to the bloodstream to effectively suppress
cravings. In one study, published in Tobacco Control, the investigator
compared levels of nicotine in the blood of 16 smokers after they
smoked two of their usual brand of cigarettes, puffed on two unlit
cigarettes or "smoked" two brands of e-cigarettes, each containing a
16 mg (high) cartridge of nicotine.

After smoking the e-cigarettes, participants had blood nicotine levels
virtually the same as they did after puffing on an unlit cigarette and
significantly lower than the blood nicotine levels detected after they
smoked a conventional cigarette. In addition, the smokers' heart rate
increased after smoking tobacco but not after using the e-cigarette or
unlit cigarette, again suggesting a negligible delivery of nicotine to
the bloodstream with the e-cigarette. Another problem: Some cartridges
may contain more or less nicotine than noted on the label.

Our advice: Some manufacturers and retailers of e-cigarettes claim
these products are healthier than normal cigarettes and can help you
quit smoking. But in the absence of scientific evidence to support
those contentions, it's best to avoid e-cigarettes until more research
has been done. For now, if you're trying to quit smoking, stick with
proven, FDA-approved stop-smoking strategies.

********** JOHNS HOPKINS PUBLICATIONS **********

* 2011 Lung Disorders White Paper
This comprehensive report provides the latest research on the
prevention and treatment of the most common lung diseases, including
asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea,
interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION:
http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/white_papers/lung_disorders_wp/D_landing.html?ET=johnshopkins:e64703:788418a:&st=email&s=ELH_111013_001

Read more or order the PRINT EDITION:
http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/white_papers/lung_disorders_wp/P_landing.html?ET=johnshopkins:e64703:788418a:&st=email&s=ELH_111013_001

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* Treating and Managing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
If you or a loved one has COPD, you know firsthand how ordinary tasks
like walking up a flight of stairs or making your bed can cause
wheezing, coughing and pronounced shortness of breath. Our new report
gets to the heart of your concerns about living with chronic
bronchitis or emphysema, providing the latest thinking on the causes
of COPD and the full range of your treatment options -- with
discussions of medications, oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation
and surgical interventions. Written by Dr. Enid R. Neptune, Assistant
Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Obstructive Lung Disease
Clinic, "Treating and Managing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(COPD)" is a must-have primer for patients and families affected by
COPD.

For more information, or to order:
http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/special_reports/lung_reports/TreatMngCOPD_landing.html?ET=johnshopkins:e64703:788418a:&st=email&s=ELH_111013_001

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* The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50
Since 1989 this acclaimed monthly newsletter has delivered
cutting-edge information on treating the major medical conditions
affecting those over 50. Each eight-page issue delivers important news
and research on women's health, men's health, nutrition, weight
control, arthritis and much more.

Send for your FREE trial issue, or order now and receive two FREE
Special Reports:
http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/health_after_50/main_landing.html?ET=johnshopkins:e64703:788418a:&st=email&s=ELH_111013_001

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