Studies have shown that tobacco smoke can cause in children severe metabolic disease like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.
Researchers from the University of Rochester School of Medicine had reported that children who are exposed to tobacco smoke, even second hand, are more at risk of being overweight and develop the metabolic syndromes.The researchers had studied 2,273 children in the age group of 12 to 19 years. They and their family members were asked if they or their parents smoked or not. The adolescents also were tested for their blood and urine samples along with thorough physical examinations.
The results had shocked the researchers. They had found that about 66% of the teens had a measurable amount of a chemical called cotinine in their blood. Cotinine happens when the tobacco smoke is biologically broken down in the body. This indicates the presence of nicotine in the body and researchers said that this is due to second hand smoking and exposure the teenagers get to tobacco smoke from the smoking habits of the family members. In comparison with the teenagers who are not exposed to tobacco smoke at their early age, adolescents who are thus exposed have five times as high risk of having metabolic syndromes in their age, and this risk increases up to six times for teenagers who smoke themselves.
SOURCE: Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association
Medindia on Metabolic Syndrome: Further information
Metabolic Syndrome: This is a condition that happens when a number of metabolic risk factors are noted in a person. Some of these risk factors are obesity, blood fat disorders, high blood pressure, insulin resistance etc. these people are at increased risk of having coronary heart disease, stroke etc that might result from build up of plaque in the walls of the arteries, and diabetes type 2.
