Titled, “Association Between E-Cigarette Use and Visual Impairment in the United States,” the study analysed data from 1,173,646 adults aged between 18 and 50 between 2016 and 2018. The results indicated that vapers were 34% per more likely to suffer from visual impairments than non-vapers, while former users were 14% more likely to do so.

The team concluded that the results could be evidence that solvents in vaping fluids damage the tear duct and cause the body “oxidative stress”, which has been linked to a deterioration of eyesight.

Another recent UCLA study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, highlighted the relative safety of smokeless tobacco products and how switching to the products from combustible cigarettes was associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in smokers.

The link between smokeless tobacco products and heart health

The study, “Associations of Smokeless Tobacco Use With Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Insights From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study” was conducted by a team of researchers from UCLA, UC San Francisco, Boston University and the University of Texas at Arlington.

The researchers analyzed data from a nationally representative group of 4,347 adults who provided urine and blood samples in 2013–14 as part of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Among this group, 3,034 participants used cigarettes exclusively, 338 used only smokeless tobacco, and 975 had never used any tobacco product.

The compiled data indicated that despite similar nicotine levels, smokeless tobacco users displayed significantly lower biomarkers of disease. “Our findings show that despite having higher levels of nicotine, exclusive smokeless tobacco users had significantly lower concentrations of inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers than cigarette smokers. Levels of these biomarkers among smokeless tobacco users were similar to those of ‘never’ smokers,” said lead study author Mary Rezk-Hanna, who is an assistant professor at UCLA School of Nursing.

Does Vaping Increase The Risk of Cigarette And Smokeless Tobacco Use?

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