What impact do e-cigarettes have on COPD?
Dr Aaron Scott is a Lecturer in Respiratory Science, within the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, at University of Birmingham. Ian Jarrold, our Deputy Head of Research and Innovation, tells us about his British Lung Foundation-funded research into whether e-cigarettes can actually be beneficial to smokers with COPD.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – or COPD - is a term used for a group of diseases that are all characterized by airflow obstruction, so obstruction of the airways. They share some characteristics that tie them all together, which is inflammation that involves a response from the immune response. Usually our immune cells play a very important role in protecting us from infections.
The role of smoking in COPD
Cigarette smoke affects the ability of these immune cells to do their job properly. This means that instead of protecting our lungs, they’re actually causing them harm. Not everyone who smokes goes on to develop COPD, but nearly everyone with COPD are ex-smokers or current smokers. And if you continue to smoke, their disease will progress much much quicker. We need to stop this disease so we need to help people to stop smoking where appropriate. Smoking cessation therapies have not really advanced substantially in decades, and it’s been shown that e-cigarettes can be very effective at helping people quit. So Dr Scott wants to look at whether they could be useful for smokers with COPD as a cessation therapy.
Weighing up the risk
Smoking cessation therapies have not really advanced substantially in decades, and it’s been shown that e-cigarettes can be very effective at helping people quit. So Dr Scott wants to look at whether they could be useful for smokers with COPD as a cessation therapy. But it’s important to look at the potential harm e-cigarettes could cause to COPD patients, because if those immune cells continue to be dysfunctional, then they won’t offer any benefit to them. So we need to understand this in order to advise people on the best options to help them quit smoking without causing further harm.
Improving outcomes for patients
This research will also help gain an understanding of the underlying mechanism of COPD. So they’ll also be able to help patients who don’t currently smoke, or have never smoked. If they try and look at the underlying causes, then they can try and find ways to intervene, to help immune cells do their normal job again, or slow down the rate of disease progression. Which will mean better outcomes and hopefully a better quality of life for patients with this disease.
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