October 28, 2025 Newswires

Researchers from Yonsei University Report Recent Findings in Managed Care (Electronic and Conventional Cigarette Use and Risk of Spinal Disc Disorders: A Nationwide Cohort Study): Managed Care

Insurance Daily News

2025 OCT 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Managed Care have been published. According to news reporting out of Seoul, South Korea, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Liquid electronic cigarettes (LECs), heat-not-burn electronic cigarettes (HECs), and combustible cigarettes (CCs) pose varying disc disease risks. To assess disc disease risk among LEC, HEC, combined LEC/HEC, and CC users and non-smokers, including those transitioning from CCs to LECs or HECs DESIGN/SETTING: This was an observational, nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort study using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Yonsei University, “Data from 3,265,293 adults in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database were analyzed. The primary study outcome was spinal disc disease hazard ratios. Participants were categorized as LEC, HEC, combined LEC/HEC or CC users or never-smokers. Propensity score matching and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for disc disease risk. Smoking status was self-reported, and detailed quantitative exposure data were unavailable, which may limit interpretation of hazard ratios. Increased disc disease risk was found in smokers than in non-smokers: CC (aHR = 1.174 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.158-1.191]), LEC (aHR = 1.153 [95% CI, 1.079-1.232]), HEC (aHR = 1.132 [95% CI, 1.063-1.204]), and combined LEC/HEC (aHR = 1.174 [95% CI, 1.01-1.366]). Switching from CC to HEC reduced the risk compared to that after continuous CC use (aHR = 0.89 [95% CI, 0.838-0.944]). However, the risk remained higher than that in non-smokers (aHR = 1.092 [95% CI, 1.026-1.163]). Switching from CC to LEC showed risk similar to that with continuous CC use (aHR = 1.01 [95% CI, 0.902-1.132]) and higher risk than that in non-smokers (aHR = 1.339 [95% CI, 1.185-1.513]). CC smokers present the highest risk of spinal disc disease. LEC and HEC smokers have lower risks than CC smokers but higher risks than non-smokers.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Transitioning from CCs to HECs reduces disc disease risk, but switching to LECs does not, compared to continuous CC use.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Electronic and Conventional Cigarette Use and Risk of Spinal Disc Disorders: A Nationwide Cohort Study. The Spine Journal, 2025. The Spine Journal can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Jae Won Shin, Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Ji-Won Kwon, Sung Youn Chun, Yung Park, Hak Sun Kim, Seong Hwan Moon, Kyung-Soo Suk, Si Young Park, Byung Ho Lee and Dong Hee Ye.