Tobacco.org

Passive Smoking: 30 Minutes Is Enough To Cause Observable Changes In The Arteries 

Those who are habitually exposed to passive smoke run a cardiovascular risk almost as high as those who smoke; people who do not smoke but inhale second hand smoke suffer a 30% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. But the most alarming factor is the speed with which passive smoking damages the cardiovascular apparatus. Trials which will be discussed at the XVI World Congress of Cardiology have shown that 30 minutes' exposure to tobacco smoke is enough for changes to occur in the arteries of the non-smokers which increase cardiac risk.

"We know that just 30 minutes' exposure to second hand tobacco smoke is enough to produce an observable change in the arterial function of non-smokers," states Dr. Joaqu?Barnoya, Research Director of the Cardiovascular Surgery Unit of Guatemala and Professor at the Washington University of St. Louis, U.S.A. "Passive tobacco smoke directly damages the endothelium, which is the internal wall of the arteries, responsible for their dilation and contraction."

The prevention of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors is the central subject of the XVI World Congress of Cardiology to be held in Buenos Aires from the 18th - 21st May 2008

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