Friday, November 20, 2009

Secondhand Smoke Exposure Research

According to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009, toddlers and obese children suffer more than other youth when exposed to secondhand smoke.

Researchers at the Nationwide Children's Hospital & Research Institute at Ohio State University in Columbus found:
  • There was a link between the amount of secondhand smoke exposure and a marker of vascular injury in toddlers. This link was two times greater in toddlers who were obese.
  • Obese adolescents exposed to secondhand smoke had two times the evidence of vascular injury compared to normal-weight adolescents.
  • Toddlers had a four times greater risk of secondhand smoke exposure when compared to adolescents, despite having similar reported home exposures.
  • Toddlers exposed to secondhand smoke had a 30% reduction in circulating vascular endothelial progenitor cells, a cell type involved in repair and maintaining a healthy blood vessel network.

For this study, the researchers at the Nationwide Children's Hospital & Research Institute recruited 52 toddlers (ages 2-5) and 107 adolescents (ages 9-18). source