A study published in the journal Environmental Health found that people who smoke in confined places inhale enough secondhand smoke to significantly increase their risk from smoking. Researchers in Genoa, Italy chose 15 newsstand vendors for their study because they worked alone inside small kiosks. The researchers discovered that smoking 14 cigarettes a day in an enclosed space is equal to smoking an extra 2.6 cigarettes. Also, 14.6%-20% of the carcinogens from regular cigarettes came from secondhand smoke. From light cigarettes it was 21%-34%. Obviously, smokers should have firsthand knowledge about secondhand smoke.
Thirdhand smoke is the nicotine residue from secondhand smoke. This residue is on indoor surfaces and car interiors, where it can stay for months. It's also on clothes and skin. A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that when this residue interacts with nitrous acid from unvented gas appliances or vehicle engines, it forms TSNA's - one of the most potent carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Because TSNA exposure is through touch, dust inhalation or ingestion, babies and toddlers are most at risk. Opening windows won't eliminate thirdhand smoke. Opening minds will.
Minds also have to be open to the fact that hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. It triggers more than one-third of heart attacks, is a leading cause of strokes and kidney failure and plays a role in blindness and dementia. According to the Institute of Medicine, nearly 1 in 3 adults has hypertension. Leading risk factors include being overweight, inactivity and poor diet. The good news is we can avoid those three risk factors by exercising, eating less salt and eating more potassium. The bad news is we can't avoid the 4th risk factor - getting older.
Stroke risk for women over age 50 is increased by high-fat diets. A study presented at a 2010 American Stroke Association conference involved 87,230 women ages 50-79 participating in the Women's Health Initiative. Researchers divided participants' diet surveys into 4 groups based on fat consumed. Seven years later - after factoring out other things affecting stroke risk - researchers concluded the women eating the most fat had a 44% greater risk of stroke and those eating the most trans fat had a 30% greater risk. It seems cutting the amount of fat we eat doesn't require a stroke - of genius.
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