Clogged arteries in adults tied to secondhand smoke during childhood. Its long been known that smoking ups heart disease risk in those individuals who smoke, but new research has found that clogged arteries can also come from smoke exposure during childhood. “In a Finnish study spanning 26 years, kids exposed to parental smoking were more likely to develop plaque in their carotid arteries as young adults than kids who were not exposed to secondhand smoke. These findings and others suggest the health effects of passive smoking on children are not limited to respiratory or developmental health, but can have a long-term impact on cardiovascular health. The team tested the blood samples for levels of cotinine, a byproduct of cigarette smoke exposure, and looked for a buildup of plaque in the carotid arteries, two large blood vessels of the neck. More than 84 percent of kids of nonsmokers had no cotinine in their blood, compared to 62 percent of those with one smoking parent and 43 percent when both parents smoked.” Fortunately, the researchers found there were things parents could do to limit smoke exposure in their kids if they were unable or unwilling to quit. “Many smoking parents did not smoke inside the home or car, or smoked well away from their children, to the point where there was no evidence for passive smoke exposure in their child’s blood.”

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