Secondhand Smoke Riskier than Cholesterol
Published: Mar 8, 2013

By Chris Kaiser , Cardiology Editor, MedPage Today

The risk of clogged arteries is greater from secondhand smoke than from several well-known heart disease risk factors, including high cholesterol, researchers found.

The overall prevalence of coronary artery plaque in those exposed to secondhand smoke was 24%, which rose to 26% in those with the highest exposure compared with 19% for the general public, Harvey S. Hecht, MD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues reported online in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

Those with the highest amount of exposure to passive smoke were 90% more likely to have coronary plaque compared with the general public, (1.93, 95% CI 1.49 to 2.51, P<0.0001).

MedPageToday Article:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Atherosclerosis/37750

Journal Article:  http://my.americanheart.org/professional/General/Smokeless-Tobacco-and-CVD_UCM_424000_Article.jsp