US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, “The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Cardiovascular Disease,” US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service Office of Smoking and Health, DHHS Publication NO (PHS) 84-50204, Rockville, 1983.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Passive Smoking and Infectious Disease: A Serious Hazard for Cardiovascular System

  AUTHORS: Aurelio Leone

  KEYWORDS: Passive Smoking, Tropical Disease, Heart

  JOURNAL NAME: International Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol.2 No.5, November 28, 2011

  ABSTRACT: Exposure to passive smoking is usually associated with heavy changes in both function and structure of the cardiovascular system at different levels: coronary circulation, heart metabolism, myocardial muscle. These changes may be transient but may have characteristics of irreversibility. Major determinant of cardiovascular alterations is hypoxia due to tobacco products of the environment although a large number of alterations affect immune t-cells and antibody response. All infectious diseases which involve cardiovascular system, including some tropical patterns, particularly Chagas disease, are adversely influenced as a consequence of a continuous although irregular exposure to passive smoking, which worsens the degree of cardiac muscle alterations at different levels like myocardium, coronary arteries and both these structures. Therefore, exposure to passive smoking must be avoided for those individuals suffering from infectious diseases of the heart whatever factor can be responsible.