How safe are e-cigarettes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? A systematic review of the literature

Background: A high smoking-related burden is placed on health services in diagnosing, treating and managing associated long-term illnesses such as COPD. Whilst there are many smoking cessation options available, the use of e-cigarettes has risen rapidly.
Aim: To identify if the promotion of e-cigarettes is an appropriate intervention for patients with COPD.
Methods: A systematic process was used to search databases and identify research papers detailing the effects of e-cigarettes on pulmonary health outcomes in COPD; analysis identified five main themes.
Findings; Eight papers were reviewed. Findings support current clinical guidance
endorsing the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation; however, COPD patients may be at greater risk of inflammatory responses, exacerbation, disease progression and worsening general health.
Conclusion: The effects of e-cigarettes are not fully understood, but they are not risk free. More evidence is needed about both the short and long-term impact of their use in this cohort.