Second-hand smoke cause damage to heart

“A cigar has a fire at one end and a fool at the other.”

That’s how journalist and newspaper editor Horace Greeley expressed his distaste for cigar smoking. In the rough and tumble newsrooms of the 19th Century, he was probably exposed to quite a bit of second hand smoke from nickel cigars and hand-rolled cigarettes. He may have never imagined that he was probably doing as much “smoking” as his stogie-loving and cigarette-smoking peers.

Studies have revealed this general timeline of how second hand smoke affects the heart:

• 5 minutes: The aorta begins to stiffen
• 30 minutes: The blood begins to become “sticky” with activated blood platelets; damage to the artery linings begins; blood vessel dilation is reduced
• 2 hours: Heart rhythm may become disturbed
• By some estimates, an eight-hour shift spent working in a smoky environment has the same effect on the cardiovascular system as smoking an entire pack of cigarettes.

So in effect, a nonsmoker who spends day after day in such an environment is essentially a smoker. It’s called “passive” smoking, but it’s smoking nonetheless, and carries an equal risk of cancer, asthma, and heart attack that endangers everyday smokers.

Fortunately, nonsmokers exposed to second hand smoke may get some cardiovascular protection with an adequate intake of vitamin C.

Previous research suggests that lung cancer and cardiovascular problems triggered by passive smoking are associated with an increase in oxidative stress. A 2003 study from the University of California, Berkeley (UC), examined the effects of vitamin C and other nutrients on oxidative stress in 67 middle-aged nonsmokers who were regularly exposed to second hand smoke.

Split into three groups, the subjects were given either 500 mg of vitamin C daily; a mix of vitamin C, E, and alpha-lipoic acid; or a placebo. After two months, researchers found that, compared to the placebo group, the vitamin C group showed a decrease in oxidative stress of more than 11 percent, and the nutrient mix group of almost 13 percent.

Can an 11, 12, or 13 percent reduction in oxidative stress protect you from a heart attack triggered by passive smoking? The answer to that would depend on many variables. But any margin of safety is welcome when the heart is exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Sources:
“Vitamin C Supplementation Decreases Oxidative Stress biomarker f2-Isoprostanes in Plasma of Nonsmokers Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke” Nutrition and Cancer, 2003; 45(2), 176-84, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
“Vitamin C to Counter Passive Smoking Damage” NutraIngredients.com,8/6/03, nutraingredients.com