Introduction: The use of heat-not-burn tobacco products (HnB) is being adopted increasingly as an alternative to smoking combusted products, primarily cigarettes. Substantial controversy has accompanied their marketing and use in the public health context. In this study, we aimed to consider the probable impacts of HnB tobacco products use on public health. Methods: In May 2019, we conducted a systematic review of 15 studies concerning awareness and use of IQOS (abbrv. I Quit Ordinary Smoking) selected from three databases: Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase regarding public health. Results: All key outcomes varied by smoking status: more young adults who were currently smoking reported being aware of, interested in trying, and prone to trying heat-not-burn tobacco products. Interest in trying HnB products was also present among non-smokers, which raises concerns regarding new smokers. Interestingly, susceptibility to trying IQOS (25.1%) was higher than for traditional cigarettes (19.3%), but lower than for e-cigarettes (29.1%). Conclusions: Present studies suggest that HnB tobacco products have the potential to be a reduced risk product for public health compared to conventional cigarettes, considering indirectly the potential effects on the chronic diseases which are traditionally linked to traditional cigarette use as well as second hand exposure, but further studies are needed to determine whether this potential is likely to be realized. The process of HnB tobacco products becoming increasingly popular is of a global scale. Only small differences between countries on different continents regarding popularity and use of HnB tobacco products have been reported.

COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Its diagnosis can be made with spirometry, which is underused due to its limited accessibility. Portable spirometry holds promise for enhancing the efficacy of COPD diagnoses. The study aimed to estimate COPD prevalence diagnosed with a portable spirometer in high-risk patients and compare it with COPD prevalence based on data from conventional, on-site spirometry. We also evaluated the strategy of a proactive approach to identify COPD in high-risk individuals. We conducted a systematic review of original studies on COPD targeted screening and diagnosis with portable and conventional spirometers selected from 8496 publications initially found in three databases: Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase. The inclusion criteria were met by 28 studies. COPD prevalence evaluated with the use of portable spirometers reached 20.27% and was lower compared to that estimated with the use of conventional spirometers (24.67%). In 11 included studies, postbronchodilator tests were performed with portable spirometers, which enabled a bedside COPD diagnosis. Portable spirometers can be successfully used in COPD targeted screening and diagnosis and thus enhance the detection of COPD at early stages.

Background: Spirometry is a commonly used low-cost method of lung function assessment. However, as it requires patients’ cooperation it is considered difficult to perform in a primary care setting. The aim of this study was to 1) evaluate the correctness and types of errors made during spirometry with the use of the mobile device 2) assess factors which play a role in performing spirometry correctly. Methods: 10,936 spirometries in 9855 patients were performed by 673 primary care professionals in all regions of Poland between September 2019 and September 2020. A mobile phone-linked portable device (AioCare™, HealthUp) was used. The most common spirometry errors according to the ATS/ERS criteria were assessed. Stepwise logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with technically correct spirometry. Results: 5347 (49%) spirometry examinations met both accuracy and repeatability criteria. The most common errors were: BEV error (28.1%), plateau error (26.6%), FET40 years and males were more likely to perform plateau error (OR 1.49; 95%CI: 1.38-1.60; OR 0.88; 95%CI: 0.82-0.94 respectively). The most important factor influencing the possibility of performing correct examination was the physician’s age > 40 years (OR 1.32; 95%CI: 1.21-1.45). Male (OR 0.80; 95%CI: 0.74-0.86) and smoking patients (OR 0.79; 95%CI: 0.73-0.85) were less likely to perform a technically correct spirometry. Conclusions: Medical professionals need further training to improve their skills in performing spirometry. Although the use of mobile-linked device is thought to be technically demanding, older physician’s age was associated with better spirometry quality compared to younger physicians.