Passive Smoking and Coronary Heart Disease

Title: Passive Smoking and Coronary Heart Disease

Volume: 2 Issue: 2

Author(s): Aurelio Leone, Danilo Giannini, Chiara Bellotto and Alberto Balbarini

Affiliation:

Keywords: passive smoking, coronary heart disease

Abstract: A large series of clinico-epidemiological studies, meta-analyses and experimental findings have concluded that there is a relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and passive smoking either after acute or chronic exposure. Cigarette smoking is the most important cause of premature death in industrialized countries because it is associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer and arterial disease. In family homes as well as in workplaces, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is associated with an increased risk of CHD in exposed non-smokers when compared to un-exposed non-smokers. Different anatomical structures are damaged by ETS. The endothelium, artery wall and heart are target organs for passive smoking. Therefore, smoking cessation will benefit both smokers and those exposed to ETS.

Cite this article as:

Leone Aurelio, Giannini Danilo, Bellotto Chiara and Balbarini Alberto, Passive Smoking and Coronary Heart Disease, Current Vascular Pharmacology 2004; 2 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570161043476366