Daily HealthBeat Tip

Cut the smoke

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I�m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Secondhand smoke may cause more than lung cancer. It may also increase the risk for metabolic syndrome. This condition marked by obesity and high blood pressure increases the odds of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

A study in the journal Circulation, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, links metabolic syndrome to teen-age smoking.

Researcher Michael Weitzman of the University of Rochester says teens exposed to secondhand smoke are almost five times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. For smokers, the likelihood jumps to six times.

Weitzman says smoking itself may change teens� metabolisms. His advice:

"The best thing they can do is to never smoke and try to limit as much as possible their exposure to individuals who do smoke." (8 seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 16, 2005

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