TORONTO: Certain flavored e-cigarettes, even without nicotine, may change how airways, affected by the allergic disease, function, thus worsening the severity of diseases such as asthma, say researchers.

For the first time, a model of asthma was used to investigate the effect of a range of popular e-cigarette flavors, with and without nicotine.

“This is especially important for those with respiratory disease, who are vulnerable to the effects of smoking,” Dr. Chapman said.

“The majority of e-cigarette smokers use flavored liquids but there is some evidence that flavor additives can be toxic when inhaled,” said Dr. David Chapman from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).