Gourt > Health > Specific Substances > Tobacco > Effects > Cardiovascular System > Secondhand Smoke > Stroke
A stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is an acute neurologic injury whereby the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted. Stroke can also be said to be a syndrome of sudden loss of neuronal function due to disturbance in cerebral perfusion. This disturbance in perfusion is commonly on the arterial side of the circulation, but can be on the venous side.
The part of the brain with disturbed perfusion can no longer receive adequate oxygen carried by the blood; brain cells are therefore damaged or die, impairing function from that part of the brain. Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurologic damage or even death if not promptly diagnosed and treated. It is the third leading cause of death and adult disability in the US and industrialized European nations. Stroke will soon be the most common cause of death worldwide .
Risk factors include advanced age, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, and cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor of stroke.
More on [ Stroke ]
Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke: Stroke - Provides a bibliography of relevant research.
Passive Smoke From Spouse Increases a Smoking Woman's Stroke Risk - Women already at risk of having a stroke because they smoke cigarettes increase their stroke risk three-fold if they live with a spouse who smokes, according to recent research.
Passive smoking and risk of stroke seems a solid connection - Letter to scientific journal on biomarkers, exposure measurement, confounds, and the evidence connecting secondhand smoke to stroke.
Passive Smoking As Well As Active Smoking Increases the Risk of Acute Stroke - Recent research; article summarizes the epidemiology.
Passive Smoking Increases the Risk of Acute Stroke - Population-based case-control study of residents of Auckland, New Zealand findsa significantly increased risk of stroke in both men and women.
Secondhand Smoke Breaks Down Blood Vessel - Research results: After spending only 30 minutes in a smoke-filled room, participants in a study had losses in their blood levels of antioxidants.
Secondhand Smoke Raises Stroke Risk, Study Says - Seattle Times article summarizes recent research that estimates secondhand smoke raises stroke risk by 85%.
