Effect of exposure to secondhand smoke on markers of inflammation: the ATTICA study☆
Received 12 March 2003; received in revised form 24 July 2003; accepted 24 July 2003.
Abstract
Purpose
We sought to investigate the effect of secondhand smoke exposure on inflammatory markers related to cardiovascular disease.
Methods
During 2001 to 2002, we randomly selected a stratified (age-sex) sample of adults without clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. Exposure to secondhand smoke (>30 minutes per day and ≥1 day per week) was recorded. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke on levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, homocysteine, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and on white blood cell count.
Results
One hundred and thirty-seven (38%) of the 357 men who had never smoked and 211 (33%) of the 638 never-smoking women reported current exposure to secondhand smoke. Compared with those who were not exposed to secondhand smoke, those exposed more than 3 days per week had higher white blood cell counts (by 600 cells per μL; P = 0.02), as well as higher levels of C-reactive protein (by 0.08 mg/dL; P = 0.03), homocysteine (by 0.4 μmol/L; P = 0.002), fibrinogen (by 5.2 mg/dL; P = 0.4), and oxidized LDL cholesterol (by 3.3 mg/dL; P = 0.03), after adjusting for several potential confounders.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest another pathophysiological mechanism by which exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with the development of atherosclerosis.
aFirst Cardiology Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Requests for reprints should be addressed to Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, PhD, 46 Paleon Polemiston St. Glyfada, Attica, 166 74, Greece
☆ The ATTICA study was supported by research grants from the Hellenic Cardiological Society (HCS2002) and the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society (HAS2003).
ABSTRACT
