Secondhand smoke riskier than cholesterol

The risk of clogged arteries is greater from secondhand smoke than from several well-known heart disease risk factors, including high cholesterol, researchers found. The overall prevalence of coronary artery plaque in those exposed to secondhand smoke was 24%, which rose to 26% in those with the highest exposure compared with 19% for the general public, Harvey S. Hecht, MD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues reported online in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging. Those with the highest amount of exposure to passive smoke were 90% more likely to have coronary plaque compared with the general public. Even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors, the odds associated with developing coronary disease from secondhand smoke were greater than from other well-established danger signs