Passive Smoking Increases Platelet Activation in Healthy People

Of course, passive smoking might be harmful to the heart from more than one mechanism.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120825155656.htm

ScienceDaily (Aug. 25, 2012) — "It is well known that passive smoking is harmful for cardiovascular health, but the mechanism has not yet been discovered," said Dr Kaya. "We investigated the effects of passive smoking on the levels of three parameters -- mean platelet volume (MPV), carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and lactate -- in an effort to further understand this mechanism. We also looked at the correlation between the three parameters."

.....

"We have shown that 1 hour exposure to passive smoking increases platelet activation, which could be the mechanism by which it contributes to increased risk of thrombotic events in healthy people. It is likely that prolonged exposure to passive smoking could have even greater effects. Healthy people should avoid exposure to passive smoking so that they do not increase their risk of thrombotic events."