Electronic Cigarettes Linked to Lung Injury: Universitas Riau Researchers Highlight Risks

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Research by Universitas Riau researchers has highlighted the risks associated with electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, and the lung injury they can cause. According to the study, e-cigarettes, which are designed to produce an inhalable aerosol from a liquid solution, can contain a range of harmful substances, including tobacco-related nitrosamines, aldehydes, metals, volatile organic compounds, and various medicinal compounds. The study found that lung damage caused by e-cigarette use, known as Electronic Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI), can present with non-specific signs, including breathlessness, coughing, and chest discomfort.

Key Takeaways:

  • Electronic cigarettes contain hazardous substances such as tobacco-related nitrosamines, aldehydes, metals, and volatile organic compounds.
  • Substances like propylene glycol, vitamin E acetate (VEA), and heavy metals such as lead and arsenic are significant contributors to lung harm.
  • EVALI can present with non-specific symptoms, including breathlessness, coughing, and chest discomfort.
  • Radiological findings in EVALI are often non-specific.
  • The most commonly observed pattern in EVALI is parenchymal organizing pneumonia (OP), identified in 56% of cases, with bilateral dominant ground-glass opacity (GGO) located in the inferior sections of the lungs or diffusely distributed with varying degrees of consolidation.
  • Universitas Riau researchers conducted a literature review on EVALI, concluding that the condition is a serious lung disease.

Statistics:

  • 56% of cases of EVALI identified parenchymal organizing pneumonia (OP) as the most commonly observed pattern.
  • Bilateral dominant ground-glass opacity (GGO) was identified in 56% of cases, located in the inferior sections of the lungs or diffusely distributed with varying degrees of consolidation.
  • Approximately 1297 experts worldwide are involved in research related to lung injury and electronic cigarettes.

Sources:

  • Jurnal Respirasi, 2025, 11(3): 285-297, Universitas Airlangga.
  • https://doi.org/10.20473/jr.v11-I.3.2025.285-297 (free version available).
  • NewsRx, Universitas Riau Researchers Highlight Recent Research in Lung Injury, Respiratory Therapeutics Week, October 20, 2025; p 1297.