Secondhand Smoke Damages the Heart
New research shows that secondhand smoke exposure not only increases the risk of lung cancer, but also increases the risk of heart disease. Even low-level indirect exposure to cigarette smoke was linked to a significant increase in heart disease risk. This research, conducted by researchers from the U.K.'s University of Nottingham, was the first research to directly measure secondhand smoke exposure through levels of a nicotine byproduct in the blood. Older studies have relied upon participants to recall their level of exposure.
Those study participants who had low and high exposure levels to second-hand smoke had significantly higher levels of two markers of heart disease risk. "These findings suggest that secondhand smoke exposure has a clinically important effect on susceptibility to heart disease, even at relatively low levels of exposure, and they highlight the importance of minimizing the public's exposure to secondhand smoke," said researcher Andrea Venn, Ph.D.
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