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Cardiovascular
Consumer Health: Secondhand smoke and heart attack risk — what’s the connection?
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You don't smoke because you understand the dangers, but what about smoke you inhale involuntarily? Secondhand smoke includes the smoke that a smoker exhales and the smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco product.
Secondhand smoke causes and contributes to several serious health problems, including lung cancer and chronic lung diseases such as COPD.
Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases your risk of heart disease by about 25% to 30%. And if you've had a previous heart attack or have been diagnosed with heart disease, it's especially important to avoid secondhand smoke.
Learn more about the connection between secondhand smoke and heart attack risk from Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist.
