HealthDay News reported May 23 that researchers Stanton Glanz and Joaquin Barnoya said that secondhand smoke is only about 20 percent less dangerous than actually smoking, and that even small amounts of secondhand smoke can raise the risk of heart attack.

"Secondhand smoke is even worse than we thought," said Glantz. "It increases the risk for an acute coronary event like a heart attack or long-term development of atherosclerosis ... The cardiovascular system is exquisitely sensitive to the toxins of secondhand cigarette smoke. Most of the toxic effects of secondhand smoke occur within five minutes of exposure."

In the study, the authors noted: "The effects of even brief (minutes to hours) passive smoking are often nearly as large (averaging 80 percent to 90 percent) as chronic active smoking."

"It doesn't take much to cause big effects," Glantz added. "If you already have compromised coronary circulation and go into a smoky environment, there is a substantial increase in your risk of an acute event."

Glanz and Barnoya reviewed 29 studies on the impact of secondhand smoke on the cardiovascular system to support their conclusions.

The study appears in the May 24, 2005 issue of the journal Circulation.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Kevin Mulvina on 26 Jun 08 11:13 AM EDT

In review of the cited articles many fail to properly identify the subject compound. We know cigarette smoke and second hand smoke reside in the particulate range of .15 to .33 Microns yet the unbiased and thoughtful researchers along with the peer review board process commonly define and accept tobacco smoke as encompassing the full range of Coarse, Fine and Ultra fine particulate, less than 10 microns. It is well known the risks described as associated to second hand smoke are much more physically related to ultra fine particulate. Diesel Exhaust is being promoted as less dangerous by statistical consensus in spite of the physical realities which demonstrate a huge flaw in the process. Wide brushing is deflecting our focus and depleting scientific integrity, to suit a political purpose, while creating a larger mortality and morbidity result by ignoring the most obvious risk factors. Defining particulate as large as 10 microns as tobacco smoke; is producing a peer reviewed and published scientific consensus, equating a Volkswagen to a 500 foot subway train. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1241427

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