All we know that smoker are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases but even if you don’t smoke still you can be at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases due to secondhand smoking. This fact has come to the fore through a study, which examined records form America’s third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-94), which had tracked about 7,559 adults who had never smoked.
After deep examination researchers concluded that 18 percent of those adults were carrying low level of cotinine- a major indicator of nicotine intake and hence exposure to tobacco smokes, while 56 percent of the adults were carrying high level of cotinine. Giving out the reason behind this 56 percent of these adults admitted to that they had lived with a smoker at home or had been exposed to secondhand smoke at work.
Moreover, researchers also checked if people exposed to secondhand smoke at home, work or other places had higher levels of fibrinogen, homocysteine and C-reactive protein, which are known to be indicators of cardiovascular disease. Uncovering the results the AHA said:
Researchers found the low- and high-cotinine groups had significantly higher levels of fibrinogen and homocysteine (with fibrinogen levels estimated at 9-10 milligrams per deciliter higher and homocysteine levels at 0.8 micromoles per liter higher) than the ‘no detectable’ group.
On the basis of these findings it can certainly be asserted that secondhand smoking is as harmful as active smoking is. Therefore, shunning smoking just on your part would not be sufficient to intercept the impending danger. Personally, I believe that prohibiting smoking in public places would help a lot.
Image credit:Body of wealth
Via: Reuters
