Vaping can trigger asthma, according to the University of Texas, which has uncovered a "significant link" between using e-cigarettes and "earlier age of asthma onset."
Researchers at the university’s School of Public Health on its Houston campus found that people who reported themselves as "asthma-free" ended up increasing their risk "of developing earlier age of asthma onset by 252%" if they took up vaping.
The researchers used data covering over 7000 adults and around 17,000 12 to 17-year-olds from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, described as "a national longitudinal study of tobacco use and how it affects the health of adults and youths in the US."
"While previous studies have reported that e-cigarette use increases the risk of asthma, our study was the first to examine the age of asthma onset," said the university’s Adriana Pérez.
"Measuring the potential risk of earlier age of asthma onset as it relates to past 30-day e-cigarette use may help people from starting use or motivate them to stop," she said, ahead of the findings being published by the American Medical Association.
The findings "showed the need for further research, particularly regarding the impact of e-cigarette use on youth and its association with early age of asthma onset and other respiratory conditions," according to the team.
