Smoking and metabolic syndrome

Filed in archive Studies on August 1, 2005

Here's the daily "do not smoke" study:

People trying to stop teens from smoking may have a new weapon -- a study showing that even secondhand smoke raises the risk of metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by obesity, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and pre-diabetes.

The american heart association estimates that 47 million U.S. adults have metabolic syndrome, which greatly raises the odds of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It is associated with obesity and smoking in adults.

But a study published in the journal Circulation on Monday shows that teens who smoke -- and those who are around people who smoke -- also have a higher risk of this condition.

(Fox, "New health risk found for teen smoking - study", Reuters, Aug.1)