Long term health outcomes for patients with E-cigarette or Vaping, Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) compared to matched control subjects who vape

Abstract E-cigarette, or Vaping, Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) was first recognized in 2019 after a cluster of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) cases in youths. Patients with EVALI had residual cognitive, respiratory, and mood symptoms despite their relatively young age and few comorbidities. Whether these outcomes were attributable to underlying characteristics of people who vape or to EVALI itself remains unclear. In this retrospective case control study, we compared the prospectively self-reported outcomes of cognitive, dyspnea, and activities of daily living symptoms of patients with EVALI and people who vape without EVALI. Patient were matched for age, sex, geography, and month. Fifty-four patients with EVALI and 131 matched control subjects were included. Compared with control subjects, patients with EVALI were more likely to report cognitive symptoms (46% vs. 23%, p = 0.003), dyspnea symptoms (22% vs. 5%, p = 0.002), and difficulty with activities of daily living (17% vs. 2%, p < 0.001). In this study, we found that experience significantly more burdens of cognitive, dyspnea, and activities of daily living symptoms compared to people who vape.