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See Latest ArticlesBiological evidence for the acute health effects of secondhand smoke exposure
Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 09/23/09
Flouris AD et al. – Based on the presented biological evidence, it is concluded that brief, acute, transient exposures to SHS may cause significant adverse effects on several systems of the human body and represent a significant and acute health hazard. Future research directions in this area include research on the concentrations of tobacco smoke constituents in the alveolar milieu following SHS exposure, individual susceptibility to SHS, as well as the effects of SHS on neurobehavioral activity, brain cell development, synaptic development and function.
Dr. Andreas D. Flouris, 09/23/09
| The first evidence on the danger of secondhand smoke (SHS) arose in 1981 from a study showing that non-smoking Japanese women married to men who smoked had an increased risk for lung cancer [Hirayama T. Non-smoking wives of heavy smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer: a study from Japan. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 282: 183-185, 1981]. Since then, many studies have appeared on the unfavorable effects of SHS, most of which evaluated longitudinal epidemiological data. In contrast, exposure studies assessing the acute and short-term SHS effects are limited. Yet, this knowledge is essential and of the utmost importance for elucidating the underlying physiological mechanisms involved in SHS-induced system disruption. Since the first study on SHS, research in this topic has spread into different areas and new scientific evidence continues to accumulate. Thus far, the cellular, animal, and human studies conducted indicate a number of mechanisms by which the deleterious effects of SHS may arise. However, many germane studies incorporate limitations. For instance, a large number of epidemiological studies base SHS exposure on self-report without an objective measurement of exposure, they adopt a cross-sectional design, and they provide little data on the duration of the exposure. On the other hand, the majority of mechanistic exposure studies rely on animal models or in vitro experiments both of which are inherently limited, particularly in relation to the level and duration of the exposures, as well as their relevance in humans. Nevertheless, the literature also contains outstanding experiments that have provided novel evidence on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms related to SHS exposures. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the existing biological evidence regarding the acute health effects of SHS exposure. Based on the presented evidence, we conclude that even brief exposure to SHS may generate significant adverse effects on several systems of the human body. This information has been summarized into three models in an attempt to put forward an elegant and consistent theory. |
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