Passive smoking causes changes in the body that promote heart disease after a short period of exposure to tobacco smoke, experts said at the congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Munich.
This is indicated by the Sapaldia Youth Study. They revealed for the first time that second-hand smoke in children and adolescents aged 8 to 20 causes thickening of blood vessel walls, indicating the development of arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis). It can also cause lung underdevelopment.
“We are just not sure if these changes in such a young body are still reversible,” said Dr. Julia Dratva from Switzerland, lead author of the study, in a meeting with journalists. This is to be demonstrated by further observations.
Dr. Mahamet G. Kay from Turkey argued that secondhand smoke increases the tendency of the body to aggregate platelets, which can directly lead to a heart attack. It occurs when a clot forms that blocks blood flow in the coronary arteries. This results in myocardial ischemia that can cause ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death.
It was also noted that the introduction of a smoking ban in public places contributed to the improvement of the health of non-smokers exposed to passive smoking. This time, the observations of Dr. Johannes Schmucker from Bremen, where from January 1, 2008 smoking is forbidden, inter alia, in restaurants. They show that while the people of Bremen who smoke cigarettes still have heart attacks as often as before the ban, their number among non-smokers decreased by as much as 26%.
The ESC Congress, which this year takes place on August 25-29 in Munich, is the largest annual convention of cardiologists from around the world. Up to 30 thousand people participate in it. people, including many specialists from outside Europe.
Zbigniew Wojtasński from Munich (PAP)
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