People who are exposed to even small amounts of secondhand tobacco smoke have a considerable higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems.
Exposure to low levels of secondhand smoke even for 30 minutes can cause significant damage to the lining of their blood vessels, a condition which leads to hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis, Press TV reported. For the new study, researchers used a smoking machine to produce particulate concentrations of tobacco smoke and measured the effects on 33 healthy nonsmoker adults ranging in age from 18 to 40 years old. The participants were either exposed to one of three levels of secondhand smoke including clean air, lower levels of lingering smoke found in smokers’ homes or a restaurant, and high levels found in highly smoky places. The results revealed that a major blood vessel found in the upper arm, called the brachial artery, did not dilate properly in the people exposed to lingering secondhand smoke. The finding showed the inner lining of the blood vessels of highly exposed people were not working properly. The researchers emphasized that the negative effect might be even higher if the study repeated short exposure rather than measure a one-time interval, a condition which many none smokers face in their daily life.
