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Fact Sheet

Secondhand Smoke Causes Heart Disease

(May 2007)

• Secondhand smoke exposure has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease.¹
  • Secondhand smoke is estimated to cause from 22,700 to 69,600 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers.²
  • Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25–30%.¹
• Breathing secondhand smoke can have immediate adverse effects on your blood and blood vessels, potentially increasing the risk of a heart attack.¹
  • Breathing secondhand smoke interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that increase the risk of a heart attack.
  • For some of these negative effects, the immediate impact of even short exposures to secondhand smoke appears to be almost as large as that observed in active smokers.
  • Even a short time in a smoky room can cause your blood platelets to become stickier.
  • Even brief secondhand smoke exposure can damage the lining of blood vessels.
  • Short exposures to secondhand smoke can decrease coronary flow velocity reserves to levels observed in smokers and reduce heart rate variability.
  • Adults who breathe 5 hours of secondhand smoke daily have higher levels of the “bad” cholesterol that can clog the arteries of the heart.
• Coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in the United States. In 2003, an estimated 1.2 million Americans had a coronary attack.³ Many Americans have heart disease without knowing it.⁴
• Persons who already have heart disease are at especially high risk of suffering adverse effects from breathing secondhand smoke, and should take special precautions to avoid even brief exposures.¹
  • Secondhand smoke exposure can also make a heart attack more severe than it would have been in the absence of exposure.¹

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006 [cited 2006 Oct 23]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
2. California Environmental Protection Agency. Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant . Sacramento, California: California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 2005 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
3. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2006 Update . Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association, 2006 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
4. Myerburg RJ, Interian, Jr. A, Mitrani RM, Kessler KM, Castellanos A. Frequency of Sudden Cardiac Death and Profiles of Risk. American Journal of Cardiology. 1997;80(5B):10F-19F [cited 2006 Oct 23].

For Further Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO

Media Inquiries: Contact CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line at 770-488-5493.

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