Children as young as 13 years who have been exposed to secondhand smoke have visibly thicker arteries.
Children as young as 13 years who have been exposed to secondhand smoke have visibly thicker arteries.
Previous research has found that passive smoke is harmful for blood vessels among adults. To study the impact of passive smoking on children and teenagers, researchers studied 494 healthy 13 years old Finnish children taking part in an ongoing research on heart disease. They measured blood levels of cotinine (a nicotine byproduct found in the blood after exposure to tobacco smoke) annually from age 8 years onwards. They divided the children into groups with high, intermediate and low cotinine levels. Extended lipid profiles were also done for all participants. High-resolution ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of the aorta and of the carotid artery in the neck. Artery walls look thicker on an ultrasound if they are damaged by the process of atherosclerosis.
It was found that the children with the most cotinine in their blood had carotid artery walls that were, on average, 7 percent thicker than the children with the lowest cotinine levels. Their aortas were 8 percent thicker.
The researchers also did a test that measures the flexibility of the arteries in the arm, another measure of blood vessel health and heart disease risk. This measurement, called brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, was 15 percent lower in teenagers with the highest levels of cotinine. Lipid profiles showed unhealthier trends among the children with more cotinine in their blood.
The study shows that the damage caused by second-hand tobacco smoke starts in childhood and causes measurable damage by the teen years, suggesting that even young children should avoid second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke as it may be harmful for their blood vessels.
Previous research has found that passive smoke is harmful for blood vessels among adults. To study the impact of passive smoking on children and teenagers, researchers studied 494 healthy 13 years old Finnish children taking part in an ongoing research on heart disease. They measured blood levels of cotinine (a nicotine byproduct found in the blood after exposure to tobacco smoke) annually from age 8 years onwards. They divided the children into groups with high, intermediate and low cotinine levels. Extended lipid profiles were also done for all participants. High-resolution ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of the aorta and of the carotid artery in the neck. Artery walls look thicker on an ultrasound if they are damaged by the process of atherosclerosis.
It was found that the children with the most cotinine in their blood had carotid artery walls that were, on average, 7 percent thicker than the children with the lowest cotinine levels. Their aortas were 8 percent thicker.
The researchers also did a test that measures the flexibility of the arteries in the arm, another measure of blood vessel health and heart disease risk. This measurement, called brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, was 15 percent lower in teenagers with the highest levels of cotinine. Lipid profiles showed unhealthier trends among the children with more cotinine in their blood.
The study shows that the damage caused by second-hand tobacco smoke starts in childhood and causes measurable damage by the teen years, suggesting that even young children should avoid second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke as it may be harmful for their blood vessels.
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