Smoking around 4 or 5-yr-olds could raise their BP
January 11th, 2011 - 12:28 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 11 (ANI): A new study has revealed that kindergartners whose parents smoke have higher blood pressure than those with non-smoking parents.
The study is the first to show that breathing tobacco smoke increases the blood pressure of children as young as 4 or 5 years old.
“Parental smoking is not only negative for children’s lung function, but poses a risk for their future cardiovascular health,” said Giacomo D. Simonetti, first author of the study at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.
Children with a smoking parent were 21 percent more likely to have systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading, measured as the heart contracts) in the highest 15 percent, even after adjusting for other heart disease risk factors, such as birth weight, body mass index, and hypertension in the parents.
“Passive smoking increased the risk of having blood pressure at the upper end of normal, and some of these children already had high blood pressure,” said Simonetti.
Smoking by mothers had a larger impact than fathers smoking, probably because more of their smoking was done in the home while fathers smoked more at their workplaces, said researchers.
The study findings suggest that encouraging strictly smoke-free environments, specifically at home, may help preserve cardiovascular health not only in adults but also in children, said researchers.
The study was published in the Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. (ANI)
- Lowering BP in middle-aged women cuts heart disease risk - Jan 25, 2011
- Second-hand cigarette smoke associated with raised blood pressure in boys - May 02, 2011
- All US workplaces could be smoke-free by 2020 - Apr 22, 2011
- Smoke-free public places law can protect kids from second hand smoke - Jun 07, 2010
- Smoking parents might up risk of heart diseases in kids: Study - Nov 15, 2010
- US study finds smoking, ADHD link - Oct 08, 2010
- Beware! Passive smoking riskier than you think (May 31 is World No Tobacco Day) - May 30, 2012
- Benefit of exercise in patients with hypertension insufficiently investigated - Oct 27, 2010
- High cholesterol, high BP in middle age linked to early memory problems - Feb 22, 2011
- Passive smoking can harm your unborn baby - Mar 10, 2011
- Passive smoking ups risk of still births by 23 percent - Mar 10, 2011
- Too much TV 'will put kids' heart at risk' - Apr 21, 2011
- Gen Now mantra is ticking bomb for heart attacks! - Sep 08, 2011
- Smoke exposure puts Mexican women at high risk of breast cancer - Oct 02, 2010
- Study pushes for smoke-free car laws to protect infants - May 02, 2011
Tags: american heart association, birth weight, body mass index, cardiovascular health, circulation journal of the american heart association, disease risk factors, free environments, heart contracts, heart disease, heart disease risk, heart disease risk factors, high blood pressure, kindergartners, lung function, passive smoking, study findings, tobacco smoke, university of heidelberg, workplaces, yr olds