Environmental tobacco smoke and coronary heart disease mortality in the United States

Pubmed ^ | 3/18/06 | Enstrom JE, Kabat GC.

[qam1]

Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Several major meta-analyses have concluded that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by about 25% among never smokers. However, these reviews have excluded a large portion of the epidemiologic evidence on questionable grounds and have been inconsistent in the selection of the results that are included.

We conducted an updated meta-analysis and critique of the evidence on ETS exposure and its relationship to death from CHD among never smokers. Our focus is on the U.S. cohort studies, which provide the vast majority of the available evidence. ETS exposure is assessed in terms of spousal smoking, self-reported estimates, and personal monitoring. The epidemiologic results are summarized by means of overall relative risks and dose-response relationships. The methodological issues of publication bias, exposure misclassification, and confounding are discussed.

Several large studies indicate that spousal smoking history is a valid measure of relative exposure to ETS, particularly for females. Personal monitoring of nonsmokers indicates that their average ETS exposure from a smoking spouse is equivalent in terms of nicotine exposure to smoking less than 0.1 cigarettes per day.

When all relevant studies are included in the meta-analysis and results are appropriately combined, current or ever exposure to ETS, as approximated by spousal smoking, is associated with roughly a 5% increased risk of death from CHD in never smokers. Furthermore, there is no dose-response relationship and no elevated risk associated with the highest level of ETS exposure in males or females. An objective assessment of the available epidemiologic evidence indicates that the association of ETS with CHD death in U.S. never smokers is very weak. Previous assessments appear to have overestimated the strength of the association.

PMID: 16399662 [PubMed - in process]

[EGPWS]

"I'd rather fight, than switch"

Tareton 100's with a charcoal filter! ; )

Ahh, the memories! : - )

[Graybeard58]

Tareton 100's with a charcoal filter!

Yea, but Kent has a micronite filter.

[EGPWS]

Yea, but Kent has a micronite filter.

So?

I'd rather fight than switch! : )

[383rr]

Bwhahahahaha! That's pretty good.

[metesky]

Well that shoots half their rationalization for bans right in the arse, eh?

[Gabz]

Poor widdle Glantzie boy probably has his knickers all in a twist over this..............Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!!!!!

[SittinYonder]

There is a vast increase in 2nd hand deaths of busybodies by metal blades, pool cues, and baseball bats

That's the kind of response I expect from smokers. Smokers have no regard for the health of others. They fill up rooms with their second hand smoke and laugh as non-smokers develop cancer right in front of them.

There should be laws against it.

[Gabz]

Of course, everything I enjoy has a anti-group attached to it.....

You and me both!!!!!!!

it's a wonder that they're not out in front of the house with torches and pitchforks right now.

LOL!!! I just checked - none outside my windows yet :)

[elkfersupper]

We had two cockroaches die recently in a local nightclub from it:)

Don't forget Josie Wales' dog.

[Gabz]

And there should be laws against causing others to wash their keyboards and monitors :)

[SittinYonder]

And there should be laws against causing others to wash their keyboards and monitors :)

LOL ... when are you people who love government regulation going to back off of me?! ;-) Next you'll be recommending fees every time we bold a word!

[Gabz]

WOW!!!! Thanks - really great idea :)

[lmsii]

I don't know. . . I respect the right of people who don't want me to smoke when I visit them. So I smoke on the porch. However, when these nonsmokers come to my house, they either can come inside and have a smoke or they have to stay out on my porch.

[Just another Joe]

Trying telling a city council that.

I have

[Mears]

That's what I tell my family---"My house,my rules,your house,your rules"

[Mears]

And if I hear one more time that Dana Reeve didn't smoke I'll kick in the TV screen and smash the car radio.

I swear I've heard it at least 10 times today.

What other disease to they discuss your lifestyle and habits when announcing your death?

He died of colon cancer yet always made sure he got plenty of fiber?

Puhleeze !

[Gabz]

And if I hear one more time that Dana Reeve didn't smoke I'll kick in the TV screen and smash the car radio.

I haven't heard it one single time.........of course I have not had the TV on all day and haven't been in the car, so that might have something to do with it :)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[raybbr]

I see the black lung crowd has been notified.

[MaDeuce]

Typical liberal response ... overblown exaggerated example given to justify "there should be a law" crap.

If a restaurant or business want to allow smoking, they should. If they want to be a non-smoking facility, fine (they'll make tons of money with all the non-smoking patrons). In a free country people (and businesses) get to make choices ... and the 2nd hand smoke hysteria is just that ... hysteria.

I don't go smoking my cigars in other people's houses or restaurants, or at work, or in a store because THEY don't want it ... fine. But the govt should keep it nose out of it ... period!