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Born Against
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OK, a grand total of 3 minutes on MedLine gave these two studies on the first search page:
Quote:
Secondhand smoke exposure in adulthood and risk of lung cancer among never smokers: a pooled analysis of two large studies.
Brennan P, Buffler PA, Reynolds P, Wu AH, Wichmann HE, Agudo A, Pershagen G, Jockel KH, Benhamou S, Greenberg RS, Merletti F, Winck C, Fontham ET, Kreuzer M, Darby SC, Forastiere F, Simonato L, Boffetta P.
Int J Cancer. 2004 Mar;109(1):125-31.
The interpretation of the evidence linking exposure to secondhand smoke with lung cancer is constrained by the imprecision of risk estimates. The objective of the study was to obtain precise and valid estimates of the risk of lung cancer in never smokers following exposure to secondhand smoke, including adjustment for potential confounders and exposure misclassification. Pooled analysis of data from 2 previously reported large case-control studies was used. Subjects included 1263 never smoking lung cancer patients and 2740 population and hospital controls recruited during 1985-1994 from 5 metropolitan areas in the United States, 11 areas in Germany, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal. Odds ratios (ORs) of lung cancer were calculated for ever exposure and duration of exposure to secondhand smoke from spouse, workplace and social sources. The OR for ever exposure to spousal smoking was 1.18 (95% CI = 1.01-1.37) and for long-term exposure was 1.23 (95% CI = 1.01-1.51). After exclusion of proxy interviews, the OR for ever exposure from the workplace was 1.16 (95% CI = 0.99-1.36) and for long-term exposure was 1.27 (95% CI = 1.03-1.57). Similar results were obtained for exposure from social settings and for exposure from combined sources. A dose-response relationship was present with increasing duration of exposure to secondhand smoke for all 3 sources, with an OR of 1.32 (95% CI = 1.10-1.79) for the long-term exposure from all sources. There was no evidence of confounding by employment in high-risk occupations, education or low vegetable intake. Sensitivity analysis for the effects of misclassification (both positive and negative) indicated that the observed risks are likely to underestimate the true risk. Clear dose-response relationships consistent with a causal association were observed between exposure to secondhand smoke from spousal, workplace and social sources and the development of lung cancer among never smokers.
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Quote:
How acute and reversible are the cardiovascular risks of secondhand smoke?
Terry F Pechacek, associate director for science1, Stephen Babb, coordinator, secondhand smoke work group1
BMJ. 2004 Apr 24;328(7446):980-3.
Could eating in a smoky restaurant precipitate an acute myocardial infarction in a non-smoker? As unlikely as this sounds, a growing body of scientific data suggests that this is possible. In this context, the results of the observational study in Helena, MT are provocative: hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction declined by about 40% during the six months in which a comprehensive local ordinance on clean air was in effect, and rebounded after the ordinance was suspended.1
Given the small size and observational design of the study, these findings might be discounted or even disregarded altogether. However, the study focuses attention on an interesting subset of literature on secondhand smoke and its consequences. We now have a considerable amount of epidemiological literature and laboratory data on the mechanisms by which relatively small exposures to toxins in tobacco smoke seem to cause unexpectedly large increases in the risk of acute cardiovascular disease.2-7
Secondhand smoke causes coronary heart disease
Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease in non-smokers by about 30%.2 5 8 9 Because coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death in many countries, even relatively small increases in risk from this one factor can result in a large population burden of disease attributable to exposure to tobacco smoke.10 11 While the substantial cardiovascular risks posed by active smoking are now almost universally accepted, the tobacco industry and some other observers continue to question the idea that secondhand smoke can cause cardiovascular disease and death.12-15 Notwithstanding the substantial clinical and experimental evidence regarding the adverse cardiovascular effects of exposure to secondhand smoke, some have argued that an association between low level environmental exposures and health outcomes should be more critically evaluated, particularly when the relative risk for the exposure is below 2.0.14 15 In addition, the risk of coronary heart disease associated with the typical self reported level of exposure to secondhand smoke (for example, that of a non-smoker living with a smoker) can seem disproportionate. It is more than one third of the risk associated with smoking 20 cigarettes a day, even though the measured exposure to tobacco smoke among non-smokers is only about 1% of the exposure from smoking 20 cigarettes a day.2 4 5 16 This observation differs from the case for lung cancer, where the excess risk for exposure to secondhand smoke reflects a more linear dose-response effect in comparison with the risk from smoking 20 cigarettes a day.2 4 5 17 While the epidemiological pattern of risks for coronary heart disease might seem inconsistent with the data on measured exposures, the emerging understanding of the mechanisms by which exposure to toxins in tobacco smoke increases the risk of acute myocardial infarction provides a biologically plausible explanation of the data.
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So SHS can under normal circumstances increase the risk of both lung cancer and heart attack by around 30%.
I wonder if anybody would consider 30% significant?
And these are just two of dozens of studies. I could keep posting these all day long. |