Tobacco.org

Childhood smoke exposure could initiate atherosclerosis early on in life 

Children exposed to cigarette smoke have a low-grade inflammatory response and altered markers of lipid metabolism that may initiate atherosclerosis early on in life, a German study suggests.

Environmental tobacco exposure was associated with unfavourable levels of several cardiometabolic biomarkers in 10-year-olds, which the researchers say suggests an adverse effect on the vascular wall very early in life.

They add: “Most importantly from a public health perspective, avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke exposure during childhood may reduce risk for cardiometabolic diseases in later life.”

Gabriele Nagel (Ulm University) and colleagues studied 383 children in Baden-Wuerttemberg, of whom 127 (33.2%) were exposed to smoking according to the answers of a parental questionnaire.

Jump to full article »