SynthesisMedicine2018
Efficiency and adverse events of electronic cigarettes: A systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA-compliant article).
Synthesis in Medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between e-cigarette use and cigarette abstinence or changes in continued cigarette smoking among individuals who smoke cigarettes.Harm reduction journal · 2026Pooled it
- Health impacts of electronic nicotine delivery systems: an umbrella review of systematic reviews.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- Reporting and methodological quality of systematic literature reviews evaluating the associations between e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking behaviors: a systematic quality review.Harm reduction journal · 2021Pooled it
- Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- A Systematic Review Investigating Associations Between E-Cigarette Use Among Former Cigarette Smokers and Relapse to Smoking Cigarettes.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingPooled it
- A novel modulator of IL-6R prevents inflammation-induced preterm birth and improves newborn outcome.EMBO molecular medicine · 2025Article
- Exploring the Interplay of Sleep and Nicotine Vaping in Adolescents: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review.Psychopharmacology bulletin · 2025Review
- The Impact of E-Cigarettes on Oral Health-A Narrative Review.Dentistry journal · 2024Review
- Association of e-Cigarette Use and Postpartum Depression: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System 2016-2019.Journal of women's health (2002) · 2024Article
- Non-pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.BMC medicine · 2023Review
- E-cigarette, cannabis and combustible tobacco use: associations with xerostomia among California adolescents.Community dentistry and oral epidemiology · 2023Article
- Vaping among Norwegians who smoke or formerly smoked: reasons, patterns of use, and smoking cessation activity.Harm reduction journal · 2023Article
- Content and trend analysis of user-generated nicotine sickness tweets: A retrospective infoveillance study.Tobacco induced diseases · 2022Article
- Vaping-Related Adverse Events and Perceived Health Improvements: A Cross-Sectional Survey among Daily E-Cigarette Users.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Electronic Cigarettes and Oral Health.Journal of dental research · 2021Article
- Effects of electronic cigarette aerosol exposure on oral and systemic health.Biomedical journal · 2021Review
- Adolescent Use and Perceptions of JUUL and Other Pod-Style e-Cigarettes: A Qualitative Study to Inform Prevention.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Critical appraisal of the European Union Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) Preliminary Opinion on electronic cigarettes.Harm reduction journal · 2021Review
- Reporting system of suspected adverse effects from electronic cigarettes and refill liquids in Europe.Tobacco prevention & cessation · 2021Article
- The mortality of lung cancer attributable to smoking among adults in China and the United States during 1990-2017.Cancer communications (London, England) · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundElectronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a prevalent smoking cessation aid worldwide; however, a consensus regarding their efficacy and safety has yet to be reached.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review of the literature from related studies written in English or Chinese and published between January 1, 2003, and July 30, 2017. Eligible studies reporting the number of smokers who reduced or quit smoking and suffered from adverse events after e-cigarette use were selected according to predefined criteria; pertinent data were then extracted for a meta-analysis.
resultsOur search produced 198 articles; of these publications, 14 including 35,665 participants were analyzed. The pooled efficacy rate of e-cigarettes ranged from 48.3% to 58.7% for smoking reduction and from 13.2% to 22.9% for smoking cessation. The pooled rate of adverse events associated with e-cigarettes ranged from 49.1% to 51.6% based on 11 studies including 16,406 participants. The most prevalent adverse events were mouth or throat irritation, anxiety, depressed mood, nausea, and insomnia. No significant differences in overall CO2 exhalation (eCO) levels were observed after e-cigarette use according to the data from 5 studies.
conclusionOur findings suggest that e-cigarettes are moderately effective with regard to smoking reduction and smoking cessation. eCO levels are unreliable for evaluating the efficacy of e-cigarettes. E-cigarette related adverse events frequently occur, especially due to high-dose nicotine-containing cartridges.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.