E-cigarettes with nicotine can affect important cardiopulmonary outcomes and likely pose less risk than cigarettes, but they are not harmless. Given the existing literature, there is a need for controlled trials of e-cigarette use in populations with cardiopulmonary disease to fill the gaps between these existing examinations. Clarifying how the pulmonary and cardiac effects of e-cigarettes compare to use of conventional cigarettes in those with cardiopulmonary disease beyond single acute exposures will provide important new health information that can help inform policy.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of e-cigarettes and continued smoking on pulmonary and cardiac outcomes in a population with established pulmonary disease.