E-Cigarette and Health - The Pros - Harm Reduction by E-Cigarette as Part of Secondary Prevention in PAOD

Abstract

Smoking is the most important risk factor for peripheral arterial occlusive disease (paod). Smoking cessation is and remains the gold standard in the secondary prevention recommendation. E-cigarettes/tobacco heaters are recommended for smokers who are unable to stop smoking or who do not want it. According to the recommendation of the German Society of Addiction, switching to e-cigarettes/tobacco heaters in this group of smokers, who are not accessible for smoking cessation strategies, can achieve a more than 90 % reduction of pollutant exposure. However, physicians who treat vascular patients in Germany lack fundamental knowledge about the variety of e-cigarettes/tobacco heaters, their handling and their emissions. Therefore, an open and professional discussion among cardiologists, angiologists and vascular surgeons on smoking cessation and harm reduction is necessary.