Effect of exposure to secondhand smoke on markers of inflammation: the ATTICA study.
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.
Panagiotakos
Demosthenes B
DB
First Cardiology Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. d.b.panagiotakos@usa.net
Pitsavos
Christos
C
Chrysohoou
Christina
C
Skoumas
John
J
Masoura
Constadina
C
Toutouzas
Pavlos
P
Stefanadis
Christodoulos
C
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*
D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D006710:Homocysteine; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein