Stub Out Stroke

Amassing data suggests a variety of health dangers of secondhand smoke (SHS).  Angela M. Malek, from the Medical University of South Carolina (South Carolina, USA), and colleagues studied 21,743 men and women, ages e 45 years and older, enrolled in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Twenty-three percent (23%) reported secondhand exposure in the past year. The incidence of stroke was tracked, with most of the 428 strokes that occurred during the study period attributable to blockage of blood flow to the brain.  After adjusting for compounding factors, the data revealed that secondhand smoke increased the risk of stroke by about 30%, among non-smokers.The study authors warn that: "[secondhand smoke] exposure is independently associated with an increased risk of stroke.”