Electronic cigarettes are devices that heat a solution containing nicotine to form an aerosol that is then inhaled by the user. Electronic cigarettes are used by many smokers, including smokers with chronic health conditions such as COPD. Given that e-cigarettes are still relatively new, their effects on health are not well defined.
It is important to understand how electronic cigarettes affects symptoms and lung function in smokers with COPD to determine the short-term safety of these products. To do this, an initial step involves observing the extent to which smokers substitute their conventional cigarette use with electronic cigarette use and change their exposure to tobacco use biomarkers.
