Passive Smokers At High Risk of Stroke
Posted on July 30, 2008 in Current Affairs by Danteshwari
Nonsmokers who have smoking partners are also at risk of having strokes, states a US study. This indicates the seriousness of inhaling secondhand smoke. The risk was as high as 42% among these spouses who had smoking partners as compared to those who had nonsmokers as partners. The risk went up to 72% in the case of former smokers married to current smokers.
Maria Glymour of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston and Columbia University in New York, lead author of the study, said that previous research that focused on strokes caused due to smoking observed smokers. The present study deals with nonsmokers or rather passive smokers who are at a risk of having a stroke, when exposed to secondhand smoke.
People exposed to secondhand smoke are at a risk of developing lung cancer, cancer, nasal sinus cancer, infections of the respiratory infections as well as heart diseases.
A 2006 report by a US surgeon general states that secondhand smoke consists of large amount of chemicals that are cancer causing as well toxic. These chemicals include benzene, vinyl chloride, ammonia and hydrogen cynanide.
The present study focused upon cigarette smoking and not on pipes and cigars. It observed the spouses of the smokers, but did not take into consideration the long- term effects of secondhand smoke causing strokes in children.
The Stroke Association also agreed with Glymour and felt that passive smoking did lead to twice the risk of strokes among nonsmokers.
Source: TOI July 30th,2008
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