Secondhand smoke increases stroke risk by 30 percent for nonsmokers

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/ehs-ssi070815.php

Public Release: 8-Jul-2015
Elsevier Health Sciences

Nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke each year. Stroke is responsible for one out of every 19 deaths in the U.S. and it is a leading cause of disability. A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that secondhand smoke (SHS) increases the risk of stroke by about 30 percent for nonsmokers.

Using data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national, population-based, longitudinal study investigating cardiovascular disease events and mortality endpoints among white (55 percent) and African American (45 percent) adults aged greater than 45 years, investigators found that even after adjustment for other stroke factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, the 30 percent risk for nonsmokers remained.

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