The ESTxENDS Trial- Substudy on the Effects of Using Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/Vaporizer/E-cig) on Respiratory Symptoms

NCT ID: NCT03632421

Last Updated: 2023-11-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1246 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-07-16

Study Completion Date

2023-08-31

Brief Summary

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--\> This is a substudy of the main ESTxENDS trial (NCT03589989). Respiratory symptoms outcomes should be considered secondary outcomes of the main smoking cessation outcome formulated in NCT03589989.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Switzerland. Cigarette smoking eventually kills one in two smokers, mostly through cancer, heart disease and respiratory failure. Recently, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; also called vaporizer or electronic cigarette) have become popular with smokers who want to stop smoking or reduce their exposure to inhaled chemicals since ENDS use appears to be safer than tobacco smoking.

Studies suggest that ENDS use improves health outcomes, such as reducing respiratory symptoms, and presents only minimal respiratory risks, such as mild throat irritation and dry cough.

In a prospective 6-month randomized, controlled trial evaluating smoking reduction/abstinence in 300 smokers not intending to quit experimenting two different nicotine strengths of a e-cigarette model compared to its non-nicotine choice, respiratory symptoms similarly improved in all three study groups. One study compared the short-term effects of cigarette smoking to ENDS use and found that cigarette smoking led to an acute reduction in lung function, which was not observed with ENDS. Findings on short-term airway resistance is conflicting. Short term increase in resistance in ENDS users might be caused by aerosolizing the liquid, and not by the same substances that harm lung function in cigarette smokers. Smokers who shifted from tobacco cigarettes to ENDS have offered anecdotes of dramatically improved lung function, but animal models suggest that ENDS liquids can increase markers of asthma. No large randomized trials have tested the effect of ENDS on respiratory symptoms.

For the main ESTxENDS trial (NCT03589989), cigarette smokers motivated to quit smoking cigarettes will be included. Participants in the intervention group will receive an ENDS and nicotine-containing e-liquids, which they will be allowed to use ad libitum. Additionally, they will receive smoking cessation counseling. Participants in the control group will receive smoking cessation counseling only. All participants will be followed over a 24-months period. Respiratory symptoms such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and dyspnea will be assessed by means of questionnaires at baseline and at 6-, 12- and 24-months follow up. This trial will provide useful data on changes in respiratory symptoms in a large sample of participants.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Smoking Cessation Respiratory Disease

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Statisticians and laboratory personnel will be blinded to group allocation.

Study Groups

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Intervention group

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

ENDS (vaporizer/e-cig) and smoking cessation counseling

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants in the intervention group will receive an ENDS and nicotine-containing e-liquids, which they will be allowed to use ad libitum. Additionally, they will receive smoking cessation counseling. Participants will be allowed to additionally use nicotine replacement therapy. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Smoking cessation counseling will be provided in person at the first clinical visit and then over the phone at the target quit date one week later and again at week 2, 4 and 8 after the target quit date. After 6, 12 and 24 months, participants will be asked to come to a clinical visit.

Control group

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Smoking cessation counseling

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants in the control group will receive smoking cessation counseling only. Participants will be allowed to additionally use nicotine replacement therapy. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Smoking cessation counseling will be provided in person at the first clinical visit and then over the phone at the target quit date one week later and again at week 2, 4 and 8 after the target quit date. After 6, 12 and 24 months, participants will be asked to come to a clinical visit.

Interventions

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ENDS (vaporizer/e-cig) and smoking cessation counseling

Participants in the intervention group will receive an ENDS and nicotine-containing e-liquids, which they will be allowed to use ad libitum. Additionally, they will receive smoking cessation counseling. Participants will be allowed to additionally use nicotine replacement therapy. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Smoking cessation counseling will be provided in person at the first clinical visit and then over the phone at the target quit date one week later and again at week 2, 4 and 8 after the target quit date. After 6, 12 and 24 months, participants will be asked to come to a clinical visit.

Intervention Type OTHER

Smoking cessation counseling

Participants in the control group will receive smoking cessation counseling only. Participants will be allowed to additionally use nicotine replacement therapy. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Smoking cessation counseling will be provided in person at the first clinical visit and then over the phone at the target quit date one week later and again at week 2, 4 and 8 after the target quit date. After 6, 12 and 24 months, participants will be asked to come to a clinical visit.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Informed Consent as documented by signature
* Persons aged 18 or older
* Currently smoking 5 or more cigarettes a day for at least 12 months
* Willing to try to quit smoking within the next 3 months,
* Persons providing a valid phone number, a valid email address and/or a valid postal address.

Exclusion Criteria

* Known hypersensitivity or allergy to contents of the e-liquid
* Participation in another study with investigational drug within the 30 days preceding the baseline visit and during the present study where interactions are to be expected
* Women who are pregnant or breast feeding
* Intention to become pregnant during the course of the scheduled study intervention, i.e. within the first 6-months of the study
* Persons having used ENDS or tobacco heating systems regularly in the 3 months preceding the baseline visit
* Persons having used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other medications with demonstrated efficacy as an aid for smoking cessation such as varenicline or bupropion within the 3 months preceding the baseline visit
* Persons who cannot attend the 6- month follow-up visit for any reason
* Cannot understand instructions delivered in person or by phone, or otherwise unable to participate in study procedures
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Lausanne

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Geneva, Switzerland

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

State Hospital, St. Gallen

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Swiss National Science Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Krebsforschung Schweiz, Bern, Switzerland

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Federal Office of Public Health, Switzerland

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Bern

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Reto Auer, Prof.Dr.med

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Berner Institut für Hausarztmedizin; Universität Bern

Locations

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Unisanté, Centre universitaire de médecine générale et santé publique, Université de Lausanne

Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

Site Status

University Clinic for General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital

Bern, , Switzerland

Site Status

Département de médecine interne, Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève

Geneva, , Switzerland

Site Status

Lungenzentrum, Klinik für Pneumologie und Schlafmedizin, Kantonsspital St. Gallen

Sankt Gallen, , Switzerland

Site Status

Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich

Zurich, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

References

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Jha P, Ramasundarahettige C, Landsman V, Rostron B, Thun M, Anderson RN, McAfee T, Peto R. 21st-century hazards of smoking and benefits of cessation in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jan 24;368(4):341-50. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1211128.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23343063 (View on PubMed)

Farsalinos KE, Polosa R. Safety evaluation and risk assessment of electronic cigarettes as tobacco cigarette substitutes: a systematic review. Ther Adv Drug Saf. 2014 Apr;5(2):67-86. doi: 10.1177/2042098614524430.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25083263 (View on PubMed)

Caponnetto P, Campagna D, Cibella F, Morjaria JB, Caruso M, Russo C, Polosa R. EffiCiency and Safety of an eLectronic cigAreTte (ECLAT) as tobacco cigarettes substitute: a prospective 12-month randomized control design study. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 24;8(6):e66317. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066317. Print 2013.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23826093 (View on PubMed)

Flouris AD, Chorti MS, Poulianiti KP, Jamurtas AZ, Kostikas K, Tzatzarakis MN, Wallace Hayes A, Tsatsakis AM, Koutedakis Y. Acute impact of active and passive electronic cigarette smoking on serum cotinine and lung function. Inhal Toxicol. 2013 Feb;25(2):91-101. doi: 10.3109/08958378.2012.758197.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23363041 (View on PubMed)

Vardavas CI, Anagnostopoulos N, Kougias M, Evangelopoulou V, Connolly GN, Behrakis PK. Short-term pulmonary effects of using an electronic cigarette: impact on respiratory flow resistance, impedance, and exhaled nitric oxide. Chest. 2012 Jun;141(6):1400-1406. doi: 10.1378/chest.11-2443. Epub 2011 Dec 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22194587 (View on PubMed)

Lim HB, Kim SH. Inhallation of e-Cigarette Cartridge Solution Aggravates Allergen-induced Airway Inflammation and Hyper-responsiveness in Mice. Toxicol Res. 2014 Mar;30(1):13-8. doi: 10.5487/TR.2014.30.1.013.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24795794 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2017-02332a

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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