Vaping Lung Disease: Over 2,200 Cases Reported, Teen Gets ‘Popcorn Lung’
- The CDC said that vitamin E acetate may be behind the rise of deadly lung disease linked to vaping.
- The symptoms are most common in men, especially younger men.
- The disease has put major e-cigarette companies under scrutiny.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story that’s been updated since it was first published. Healthline will continue to update this article when there’s new information.
Lung injuries and deaths linked to the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping products, have continued to rise in recent weeks.
As of November 21, the CDC has confirmed 2,290 vaping related lung injury cases, with 47 deaths.
Cases have been reported in all states except Alaska, along with the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories. Deaths have been confirmed in 25 states and Washington D.C., with more being investigated.
In earlier data on 514 patients, about 77 percent reported using THC-containing products in the 30 days prior to the start of their symptoms. However, 16 percent reported using only nicotine-containing products.
People affected by these illnesses range in age from 13 to 75 years old.
The CDC has also expanded its laboratory testing to include lung fluid, blood, and urine samples from patients, as well as lung biopsy and autopsy specimens.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said earlier this month they may have uncovered a potential cause: vitamin E acetate.
“For the first time we have detected a potential toxin of concern, vitamin E acetate,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, in a conference call with reporters.
But she cautioned the investigation is still ongoing.
Samples taken from the lungs of 29 people with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury or (EVALI) all contained vitamin E acetate.
Schuchat pointed out that vitamin E acetate is commonly used in ingested supplements or skin care, and in those cases appears to be safe.
However, Schuchat said previous research has found that “when it is inhaled it may interfere with normal lung function.”
Schuchat also said they’re no longer seeing such a dramatic rise in EVALI cases as earlier this fall. But she clarified that some states are still investigating potential cases.
The agency continues to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), states, and health providers to track and investigate this outbreak.
In addition, the agency is testing the vapor of e-cigarette products that have been involved in these cases to look for potentially harmful compounds.
In October, the CDC released new guidance for clinicians on this vaping related condition. The new document provides guidance on the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of vaping related illnesses.
It also recommends that during the flu season, doctors should consider testing all patients suspected of having EVALI for influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
This is partly out of caution.
“It is unknown if patients with a history of EVALI are at higher risk for severe complications of influenza or other respiratory viral infections if they are infected simultaneously or after recovering from lung injury,” states the new guidance.
But it’s also because symptoms of EVALI are similar to those of flu and other respiratory illnesses — including cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, fatigue, and hazy spots on an X-ray.
“It is currently very hard for us to tell the difference between pneumonia and vaping related lung injury,” said Dr. Alicia Briggs, chair of pediatrics at Norwalk Hospital and a pediatric hospitalist at Connecticut Children’s.
Recent research in mice has also found that exposure to e-cigarette vapor can impair the lungs’ ability to fight viral infections like the flu. More research is needed to know whether people who vape are also at higher risk.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older — including those with a history of EVALI — get an annual flu shot.
