The Cardiovascular Impacts of Electronic Cigarettes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Cardiovascular Impacts of Electronic Cigarettes in Comparison to the Use of Nicotine Replacement Patches (The VAPOUR pilot study)
IRAS ID
210276
Contact name
Daniele Kerr
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 20 days
Research summary
Nicotine containing products are often used to help people give up smoking. The 2015 Public Health England (PHE) Report demonstrates that currently electronic cigarettes (EC) are the preferred nicotine containing device chosen by smokers to help them stop smoking. The PHE report also estimates that EC are 95% safer than tobacco smoking (TS); and advocates the use of EC to help smokers stop smoking.
However, the rapid expansion of the use of EC has increased much faster than the medical evidence supporting their safe use, and more research is required to assess the health effects of EC. In April 2016 the Royal College of Physicians published a report which stated that currently there is no published evidence upon the cardiovascular effects of EC.
Our research will primarily focus upon investigating the short-term cardiovascular effects of EC.
The VAPOUR pilot study aims to recruit 100 healthy smokers who want to stop smoking with the support of nicotine replacement products, in addition to attending weekly smoking cessation support sessions for 12-weeks. Participants enrolled in the study will be randomised to receive a 12-week supply of either nicotine replacement patches (NRP) or an EC with nicotine containing e-liquid. All participants will have cardiovascular and lung function studies performed before they start using the nicotine containing products. These studies will then be repeated 12-weeks after the participants first started their smoking cessation journey. The data generated from this study will help us understand the short-term cardiovascular and respiratory health effects of EC, in comparison to NRP and the participants who reverted back to TS during the study.
If our short-term data demonstrates that EC have short-term health benefits and do not cause harm, the potential short-term cardiovascular and respiratory health benefits of EC could reduce tobacco associated morbidity, mortality and minimise NHS healthcare costs.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
16/ES/0103
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion