Objective assessment of nasal resistance among electronic cigarette users

Abstract

Abstract Background Electronic cigarettes have been a popular alternative to tobacco smoking. The effect of tobacco smoking on nasal airway resistance has been investigated before; however, the effect of the aerosol generated by electronic cigarettes is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of e-cigarettes on nasal airway resistance. Methods Sixty-one participants were recruited into a vapers group and a control group. The vapers group was instructed to smoke for 5 minutes, and their nasal resistance was measured pre-procedure and at 1 and 5 minutes post-procedure. The results were compared between both groups. Results Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that vaping has no statistically significant effect on total nasal airway resistance. Conclusion Although the differences between both groups were not statistically significant overall, the vapers group showed a reduction in nasal airway resistance in the short term.