Nicotine - Retracted Studies, Papers, and Articles

Retractions

2022: Original: Association of Smoking and E-Cigarette in Chronic Liver Disease: An NHANES Study

• 2023: Retraction Notice to “Association of Smoking and E-Cigarette in Chronic Liver Disease: An NHANES Study”
  • Media - Filter: Journal Retracts Study That Linked Vaping to Liver Disease

2022: Original: Cancer Prevalence in E-Cigarette Users: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional NHANES Study

• 2022: Retraction Notice to “Cancer Prevalence in E-Cigarette Users: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional NHANES Study”
  • Media - Reason: A Medical Journal Retracts a 2022 Study That Linked Vaping to Cancer

2019: Original: Electronic Cigarette Use and Myocardial Infarction Among Adults in the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health

• 2020: Retraction to: Electronic Cigarette Use and Myocardial Infarction Among Adults in the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health
  • PubPeer
  • Media - USA Today: A study claimed vaping doubles risk for heart attacks. It's been retracted for being 'unreliable'

How Mistakes Can Happen

2022: Cross‑sectional e‑cigarette studies are unreliable without timing of exposure and disease diagnosis

• "Studies based on cross-sectional data with no information on age of e-cigarette initiation and age of diagnosis invariably overestimate associations by including cases that were diagnosed before e-cigarette exposure. Although the authors of those studies did not make causal claims in the reports, university media releases and subsequent media articles invariably misled the public to believe that e-cigarette use increases risk for diseases."
• Citation: Rodu B, Plurphanswat N. Cross-sectional e-cigarette studies are unreliable without timing of exposure and disease diagnosis. Intern Emerg Med. 2023 Jan;18(1):319-323. doi: 10.1007/s11739-022-03141-3. Epub 2022 Nov 25. PMID: 36434423.

2022: Analysis of common methodological flaws in the highest cited e-cigarette epidemiology research

• Conclusion: "Our critical appraisal reveals common, preventable flaws, the identification of which may provide guidance to researchers, reviewers, scientific editor, journalists, and policy makers. One striking result of the review is that a large portion of the high-ranking papers came out of US-dominated research institutions whose funders are unsupportive of a tobacco harm reduction agenda..."
• Citation: Hajat C, Stein E, Selya A, Polosa R; CoEHAR study group. Analysis of common methodological flaws in the highest cited e-cigarette epidemiology research. Intern Emerg Med. 2022 Apr;17(3):887-909. doi: 10.1007/s11739-022-02967-1. Epub 2022 Mar 24. Erratum in: Intern Emerg Med. 2022 Aug;17(5):1561. PMID: 35325394; PMCID: PMC9018638.

2022: A Critical Review of Recent Literature on Metal Contents in E-Cigarette Aerosol

• Abstract: "The inhalation of metallic compounds in e-cigarette (EC) aerosol emissions presents legitimate concerns of potential harms for users. We provide a critical review of laboratory studies published after 2017 on metal contents in EC aerosol, focusing on the consistency between their experimental design, real life device usage and appropriate evaluation of exposure risks. All experiments reporting levels above toxicological markers for some metals (e.g., nickel, lead, copper, manganese) exhibited the following experimental flaws: (i) high powered sub-ohm tank devices tested by means of puffing protocols whose airflows and puff volumes are conceived and appropriate for low powered devices; this testing necessarily involves overheating conditions that favor the production of toxicants and generate aerosols that are likely repellent to human users; (ii) miscalculation of exposure levels from experimental outcomes; (iii) pods and tank devices acquired months and years before the experiments, so that corrosion effects cannot be ruled out; (iv) failure to disclose important information on the characteristics of pods and tank devices, on the experimental methodology and on the resulting outcomes, thus hindering the interpretation of results and the possibility of replication"
• Citation: Soulet S, Sussman RA. A Critical Review of Recent Literature on Metal Contents in E-Cigarette Aerosol. Toxics. 2022 Aug 29;10(9):510. doi: 10.3390/toxics10090510. PMID: 36136475; PMCID: PMC9506048.

2022: Critical Review of the Recent Literature on Organic Byproducts in E-Cigarette Aerosol Emissions

• Abstract: "We review the literature on laboratory studies quantifying the production of potentially toxic organic byproducts (carbonyls, carbon monoxide, free radicals and some nontargeted compounds) in e-cigarette (EC) aerosol emissions, focusing on the consistency between their experimental design and a realistic usage of the devices, as determined by the power ranges of an optimal regime fulfilling a thermodynamically efficient process of aerosol generation that avoids overheating and “dry puffs”. The majority of the reviewed studies failed in various degrees to comply with this consistency criterion or supplied insufficient information to verify it. Consequently, most of the experimental outcomes and risk assessments are either partially or totally unreliable and/or of various degrees of questionable relevance to end users. Studies testing the devices under reasonable approximation to realistic conditions detected levels of all organic byproducts that are either negligible or orders of magnitude lower than in tobacco smoke. Our review reinforces the pressing need to update and improve current laboratory standards by an appropriate selection of testing parameters and the logistical incorporation of end users in the experimental design."
• Citation: Soulet S, Sussman RA. Critical Review of the Recent Literature on Organic Byproducts in E-Cigarette Aerosol Emissions. Toxics. 2022 Nov 22;10(12):714. doi: 10.3390/toxics10120714. PMID: 36548547; PMCID: PMC9787926.

2017: Carbonyl Emissions in E-cigarette Aerosol: A Systematic Review and Methodological Considerations

• Importantly, control for the generation of dry puffs was not performed in the vast majority of studies, particularly in studies using variable power devices, which could result in testing conditions and reported carbonyl levels that have no clinical relevance or context.
• Citation: Farsalinos KE, Gillman G. Carbonyl Emissions in E-cigarette Aerosol: A Systematic Review and Methodological Considerations. Front Physiol. 2018 Jan 11;8:1119. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.01119. PMID: 29375395; PMCID: PMC5769337.

2017: E-cigarettes emit very high formaldehyde levels only in conditions that are aversive to users: A replication study under verified realistic use conditions

• The high levels of formaldehyde emissions that were reported in a previous study were caused by unrealistic use conditions that create the unpleasant taste of dry puffs to e-cigarette users and are thus avoided.
• Citation: Farsalinos KE, Voudris V, Spyrou A, Poulas K. E-cigarettes emit very high formaldehyde levels only in conditions that are aversive to users: A replication study under verified realistic use conditions. Food Chem Toxicol. 2017 Nov;109(Pt 1):90-94. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.08.044. Epub 2017 Aug 31. PMID: 28864295.

2015: E-cigarettes generate high levels of aldehydes only in 'dry puff' conditions

• Electronic cigarettes produce high levels of aldehyde only in dry puff conditions, in which the liquid overheats, causing a strong unpleasant taste that e-cigarette users detect and avoid.
• Citation: Farsalinos KE, Voudris V, Poulas K. E-cigarettes generate high levels of aldehydes only in 'dry puff' conditions. Addiction. 2015 Aug;110(8):1352-6. doi: 10.1111/add.12942. Epub 2015 May 20. PMID: 25996087.

Comments by Experts: Suggesting Corrections, Identifying Methodological Flaws, or Expressing the Need for Retractions

• Note: Dates denote when comments were published, not the paper's publication date.

2022: The association between e-cigarette use and asthma among never combustible cigarette smokers: behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) 2016 & 2017

• Referring to: Osei AD, Mirbolouk M, Orimoloye OA, Dzaye O, Uddin SMI, Dardari ZA, DeFilippis AP, Bhatnagar A, Blaha MJ. The association between e-cigarette use and asthma among never combustible cigarette smokers: behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) 2016 & 2017. BMC Pulm Med. 2019 Oct 16;19(1):180. doi: 10.1186/s12890-019-0950-3. PMID: 31619218; PMCID: PMC6796489.

2022: Association Between E-Cigarette Use and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Smoking Status: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2016 and 2017

• Referring to: Osei, A. D., Mirbolouk, M., Orimoloye, O. A., Dzaye, O., Uddin, S. M. I., Benjamin, E. J., Hall, M.E., DeFilippis, A.P., Bhatnagar, A., Biswal, S.S., Blaha, M. J. (2020). Association Between E-Cigarette Use and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Smoking Status: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2016 and 2017. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.10.014

2022: E-cigarette use is associated with a self-reported diagnosis of prediabetes in never cigarette smokers: Results from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system survey

• Referring to: Atuegwu NC, Perez MF, Oncken C, Mead EL, Maheshwari N, Mortensen EM. E-cigarette use is associated with a self-reported diagnosis of prediabetes in never cigarette smokers: Results from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system survey. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 Dec 1;205:107692. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107692. Epub 2019 Oct 28. PMID: 31707269; PMCID: PMC6893144.

2022: Tests for confounding with cigarette smoking in the association of E-cigarette use with respiratory disorder: 2020 National-Sample Data

• Referring to: Wills TA, Choi K, Pokhrel P, Pagano I. Tests for confounding with cigarette smoking in the association of E-cigarette use with respiratory disorder: 2020 National-Sample Data. Prev Med. 2022 Aug;161:107137. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107137. Epub 2022 Jul 9. PMID: 35820496; PMCID: PMC9328844.

2022: Association Between E-Cigarette Use and Cardiovascular Disease Among Never and Current Combustible-Cigarette Smokers

• Referring to: Osei AD, Mirbolouk M, Orimoloye OA, Dzaye O, Uddin SMI, Benjamin EJ, Hall ME, DeFilippis AP, Stokes A, Bhatnagar A, Nasir K, Blaha MJ. Association Between E-Cigarette Use and Cardiovascular Disease Among Never and Current Combustible-Cigarette Smokers. Am J Med. 2019 Aug;132(8):949-954.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.02.016. Epub 2019 Mar 8. PMID: 30853474.

2020: Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and COVID-19

• See also: Qeios 1 and Qeios 2

2018: Association Between Electronic Cigarette Use and Myocardial Infarction

• See also 2019

2017: "Juice Monsters": Sub-Ohm Vaping and Toxic Volatile Aldehyde Emissions

• Referring to: Soha Talih, Rola Salman, Nareg Karaoghlanian, Ahmad El-Hellani, Najat Saliba, Thomas Eissenberg, and Alan Shihadeh Chemical Research in Toxicology 2017 30 (10), 1791-1793 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.7b00212

2017: Hidden formaldehyde in e-cigarette aerosols

• See also: PubPeer 2015-2017 and replication study

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