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Older adults who vape run greater risk of severe lung problems, study reveals
Much of what we read about vaping has to do with the risks it poses to young people. This may be because vape uptake is most visible among youngsters, or because e-cigarettes tend to be advertised in ways that appeal to members of Gen Z.
However, according to Action on Smoking and Health, there are lots of people over the age of 55 regularly using e-cigarettes. And they may be at even greater risk of developing respiratory problems as a result if a recent study is to be believed. Some older vapers might have turned to e-cigarettes in order to give up smoking, only to find it an even harder habit to kick. Heart surgeons advise against vaping. Period. It sounds like lung surgeons would have similar advice.
Older vape users face a higher risk of respiratory issues than younger vapers
Based on data from a Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study, two researchers from New York and Spain found that adults who had ever used e-cigarettes had a 32% higher chance of developing a respiratory illness.�
Moreover, older adults who reported having used e-cigarettes were at higher risk than younger adults.
People who also used other tobacco products also faced worse odds of developing respiratory illnesses, according to the study.�
By respiratory illness, the researchers specified they were looking at asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and emphysema, among other lung or respiratory conditions.
The effect of age on a persons odds of facing an increased risk of respiratory illness when vaping was greater than expected, Medical XPress notes in its writeup of the report.�
What it means in terms of interventions to cut e-cigarette use
Interventions or policies to reduce e-cigarette use should focus especially on the high-risk groups for respiratory illness, said one of the studys co-authors. In other words, they should target older vape users and people who also smoke tobacco products, rather than just focusing on younger e-cigarette users.
Elsewhere, researchers have been testing tailored, interactive text message programs for helping young people quit vaping, with a reasonable degree of success.
But the fact remains that for many people quitting is a major challenge.
Access to specialized treatment is not universal, and anyone who has tried to quit vaping while working from home will have discovered the inconvenient truth that e-cigarettes dont make the upholstery reek of tobacco smoke, like smoking the old-fashioned way does. This eliminates one of the barriers between the user and the experience, making it harder to stop doing it.
If you’re currently en route to a vape-free life, good luck!
