Second-hand Smoke Increases The Risk Of Children To Develop Cardiovascular Disease Later In Life

The results of a new study from the University of Tasmania has found that children who grew up with parental smokers are at a high risk of developing plaques in the carotid artery later in life. The risk is said to be twice as much in children with parental smokers.

This study involved comparisons with children whose parents do not smoke in their presence, or do not smoke at all, such that they do not puff inside the house, or the car where the children are. The second group of participants were found to have significantly lower risk of developing arterial carotid plaques in adulthood.

Arterial plaques are greatly associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. Lead researcher Dr Costan Magnussen, also an adjunct professor at the University of Turku in Finland, said, "What we have been able to establish is that the risks to children from passive smoke extend well into their life and also that these risks are not confined to respiratory illnesses." He further adds that the development of arterial plaques in the early stages of life poses a great risk in the cardiovascular health of adults.

The researchers of the study monitored 2,450 Finnish participants for 26 years. They draw out blood samples during childhood and adulthood, and compared the results. Part of the investigation is the thorough assessment and interview of the participants regarding their parents’ smoking patterns and behaviour. The quantitative data released by this study published in the US Journal Circulation says that the risk of children exposed to one or two parental smokers is 1.7 times higher compared to those whose parents do not smoke.

With this finding, parents have added reasons to review their smoking habits, and to probably entertain the possibility of quitting for good.

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