Passive-Smoking More Risky for Teen Girls than Boys

A recent study states that teenage girls are at a higher risk of getting heart diseases through passive smoking than teenage boys.

The study was conducted on 1,000 youngsters born between 1989 and 1992 by Australian researchers. They found that girls who were exposed to passive smoking had less good cholesterol that decreases the chances of getting heart diseases. However, a similar effect was absent in boys.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) gather the extra cholesterol in the blood and pass it to the liver, where it is broken down. But the low-density lipoproteins produce a waxy thick layer that blocks the blood vessels. So, HDL cholesterol has a vital role in fighting heart diseases.

During the study 48 percent of participants were exposed to second-hand smoke at home. "In our study we found that 17-year-old girls raised in households where passive smoking occurred were more likely to experience declines in HDL cholesterol levels," study lead author Dr Chi Le-Ha of University of Western Australia School Medicine and Pharmacology said. "Second-hand smoke did not have the same impact on teenage boys of the same age, which suggests passive smoking exposure may be more harmful to girls."

She expressed concern over the issue as it is well known that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the Western world.

The researchers also noted that it is important to avoid second-hand smoking exposure among children, most importantly girls.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.