"The majority of smokers who successfully switch to vaping say they have fewer respiratory infections according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London QMUL. The online survey of  respondents assessed subjective changes in respiratory symptoms in smokers who switched to vaping for at least two months. The results published in the Journal of Addiction Research  Therapy show that  per cent of respondents reported an improvement in respiratory symptoms  per cent reported no change and  per cent reported worsening. Senior author Professor Peter Hajek from QMUL said There is no doubt that ecigarettes are much safer than conventional cigarettes but smokers are still led to believe that theyre dangerous. This misinformation includes a misreported study on rats that claimed that vaping may increase vulnerability to infections. These new findings from human vapers show that this is not the case.  The study needs to be interpreted with caution because it is based on selfreported data and further studies using objective measures are needed. However the present results provide sufficient information to suggest that vaping does not increase infection rates and may in fact lead to a decrease in infections. Some previous cell and animal studies have been interpreted as suggesting that vaping may increase vulnerability to infection but these studies did not use realistic exposure levels. Human trials have reported no significant adverse respiratory effects associated with ecigarette use for up to . years and a followup study of smokers with asthma who switched to vaping found significant improvements. The researchers say that it is not surprising that the survey respondents noticed improvements in their respiratory health. This is because smoking increases susceptibility to respiratory infections and stopping smoking can be expected to have a positive effect. In addition to this vaping may also provide some antimicrobial protection through the eliquid ingredient propylene glycol though further evidence is needed to confirm this. The main limitation of the study is that the reports are subjective. Future studies should assess respiratory symptoms objectively and on unselected samples of vapers. Despite the limitations the researchers say that the study provides a reasonable reassurance that vaping does not promote respiratory infections and may in fact reduce them.  For more information please contact  Joel Winston  Public Relations Manager School of Medicine and Dentistry  Queen Mary University of London  j.winstonqmul.ac.uk mailtoj.winstonqmul.ac.uk  Tel          Notes to the editor  Research paper Changes in the Frequency of Airway Infections in Smokers who Switched to Vaping Results of an Online Survey. Joanna Astrid Miler BernhardMichael Mayer and Peter Hajek. Journal of Addiction Research  Therapy . DOI ..  http About Queen Mary University of London  Queen Mary University of London QMUL is one of the UKs leading universities and one of the largest institutions in the University of London with  students from more than  countries. A member of the Russell Group we work across the humanities and social sciences medicine and dentistry and science and engineering with inspirational teaching directly informed by our research  in the most recent national assessment of the quality of research we were placed ninth in the UK REF . We also offer something no other university can a stunning selfcontained residential campus in Londons East End. As well as our home at Mile End we have campuses at Whitechapel Charterhouse Square and West Smithfield dedicated to the study of medicine and a base for legal studies at Lincolns Inn Fields. We have a rich history in London with roots in Europes first public hospital St Barts Englands first medical school The London one of the first colleges to provide higher education to women Westfield College and the Victorian philanthropic project the Peoples Palace based at Mile End.  QMUL has an annual turnover of m a research income worth m and generates employment and output worth m to the UK economy each year."