Secondhand (environmental,involuntary, passive) Smoke: Blood Vessel Damage Within Minutes..

May 1, 2008 - Secondhand (environmental,involuntary, passive) Smoke: Blood Vessel Damage Within Minutes.. Just 30 minutes in a smoky room can cause profound blood vessel injury in healthy young nonsmoking adults, greatly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in the May 6 issue of the J Am Coll Cardiol, 51:1760-1771, 2008; 51:1760-1771. Study author Christian Heiss, MD, currently affiliated with the University RWTH Aachen in Germany, and colleagues in California evaluated blood vessel function in healthy, young, nonsmoking adults after they were exposed to a half hour of secondhand smoke at levels commonly found in public smoking areas. The study participants also underwent similar evaluations after exposure to smoke-free air on a different day. It was learned that in healthy nonsmokers, even brief exposure to secondhand smoke resulted in blood vessel dysfunction and interfered with the activity of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are believed to play a key role in repairing blood vessels. The damage to the EPCs appeared to last as long as a day. "The debate is over. The science is clear," the former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, MD, told reporters in June 2006. "There is no risk-free level of secondhand exposure," he said. At least let's stop people from smoking around kids especially in cars when the smoke is even more concentrated. It's a no brainer - let's get it done even the remaining smokers agree. Click on image to enlarge..