Secondhand Smoke: Evidence Proves Ill Effects

	Tweet

The debate is over, according to a 2006 surgeon general’s report on secondhand smoke. Smoke from other people’s burning tobacco kills, and even brief exposure to it can cause harm.

The April issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource discusses the latest on secondhand smoke, which contains thousands of chemicals and dozens of known carcinogens.

For years, doctors have known the relationship between secondhand smoke and cancer. Annually in the United States, about 3,000 nonsmokers get lung cancer due to secondhand smoke exposure. Other adverse health affects attributed to secondhand smoke include:

-- It causes more than 50,000 cardiac-related deaths each year in nonsmokers.

-- More recently, researchers have learned that secondhand smoke reduces antioxidants in the blood of nonsmokers, which can increase the accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol.

-- Secondhand smoke affects blood vessels of adults almost immediately. Five minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke reduces the ability of the aorta—the large artery in the chest—to dilate. Thirty minutes of exposure causes an abrupt reduction in the coronary velocity reserve—the force the heart uses to get going in a “fight or flight” situation. These changes occur because secondhand smoke causes the inner lining of the arteries to malfunction.

-- In children, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been associated with the mother smoking during pregnancy. More recently, researchers have found that SIDS also is associated with secondhand smoke exposure after the child is born. Secondhand smoke also increases ear and respiratory infections and asthma episodes in children.

Source: Mayo Clinic

RELATED STORIES:
Male smokers lose brain function faster as they age   Quit smoking or quit your job, U.S. company says   Quitting Smoking Before Pregnancy Could Save Babies’ Lives   Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs   Tobacco firm used extensive strategy to undermine secondhand smoke policy in China   US high court considers medical marijuana case   Smokeless tobacco use rising among teens   Poor people smoke more   Medical marijuana faces tough curbs in Montana   Stronger pot raising concerns in US   States could see substantial savings with tobacco control programs   Smoking increases risk of developing active TB

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]