title: Effect of exposure to secondhand smoke on markers of inflammation: the ATTICA study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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 > or =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 microL; P = 0.02), as well as higher levels of C-reactive protein (by 0.08 mg/dL; P = 0.03), homocysteine (by 0.4 micromol/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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest another pathophysiological mechanism by which exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with the development of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: First Cardiology Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. d.b.panagiotakos@usa.net
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pitsavos
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chrysohoou
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skoumas
authors.forename: Constadina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Masoura
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006115:Greece; D006306:Health Surveys; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D006710:Homocysteine; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein