Secondhand smoke exposure assessed using serum cotinine: associations with myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular risk factors in adult men and women
- B. J. Jefferis1,
- G. D. O. Lowe2,
- P. Welsh2,
- D. A. Lawlor3,
- S. Ebrahim4,
- S. G. Wannamethee1,
- D. G. Cook5,
- P. H. Whincup5
- 1British Regional Heart Study, Department of Primary Care and Population Health, UCL Medical School, London, UK
- 2Division of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Royal Infirmary, 10 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, UK
- 3MRC CAiTE Centre, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, UK
- 4Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
- 5Division of Community Health Sciences, St George’s, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK
Objectives
Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure is associated with elevated CVD risks. Previous studies have implicated altered platelet activity or endothelial dysfunction and changes in circulating levels of HDL, homocysteine and inflammatory markers. However most studies have imprecise exposure measurements and the mechanism remains uncertain. Therefore we examine associations between cotinine, a circulating biochemical marker of SHS exposure, and CVD risk factors, incident CHD and stroke in non-smoking men and women.
Methods
4252 men and 4286 women aged 60–79 years in parallel prospective population-based studies assessed in …
