Secondhand Smoke Blocks Artery Repair

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It's a "fascinating" study, said Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association.

"We already know that exposure to secondhand smoke can cause endothelial changes," Edelman said. "The beginning of arterial disease is endothelial damage. What this study shows is that the cells that are essential in the repair of the endothelium are also affected by secondhand smoke."

The study comes as Atlantic City becomes the latest American community to ban smoking in public places, Edelman noted.

"The good news is that a little more than half of the country is now smoke-free," Glantz said. "The bad news is that a little more than half of the country is not smoke-free."

More information

A fact sheet on secondhand smoke is available from the American Lung Association.