Second-hand smoke heart risk

Higher levels of exposure double death risk from heart disease

A study by University College London of more than 13,000 people in England and Scotland has added to the growing body of evidence that indicate a relationship between second-hand tobacco smoke and cardiovascular disease. Researcher Dr Mark Hamer said the findings showed that those who had never smoked but were exposed to high levels* of tobacco smoke were twice as likely to die from heart disease as those exposed to lower levels.

Even after controlling for the fact that many of the people exposed to a lot of second-hand smoke, as well as smokers themselves, were already exposed to risk factors related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (such as being worse off financially and less physically active than people with low exposure), the link between second-hand smoke exposure and heart disease remained. Second-hand smoke triggers inflammation in the body, a known risk factor for heart disease.

Source: Reuters, 22 June 2010.

* The study defined a ‘high’ level of exposure as equivalent to living with a smoker and getting exposed to second-hand smoke on a daily basis.

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