A research group led by Professor Yutaka Imai, Associate Professor Takayoshi Ohkubo at Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University and Tohoku University Hospital Medical IT Center has clarified that women who are passive smokers have higher home blood pressure (BP) than those who are non-passive smokers. The result has been obtained from the Ohasama Study on BP and cardiovascular diseases, and published online in Journal of Hypertension.

 It has been clarified that passive smoking causes cancer and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to the well known fact that smoking causes various diseases including lung cancer. A report said that passive smoking impairs vascular function. The dysfunction of vascular system leads to raised BP. 　

 However, it has not been elucidated that passive smoking raises BP. In this study, the research group has focused on home BP for longtime and stable measurement, and examined the association between BP and passive smoking.

 The study is of 579 non-smoking women in Ohasama –cho, Iwate Prefecture. They were requested to answer questions and measure home BP. The analysis shows that systolic BP of passive smokers at home and worksite is 4 mmHg higher than those who are not, which is the world’s first result. The raise of 4 mmHg has a major impact on public health. If the national average of systolic BP lowers by 2 mmHg, mortality due to stroke could decrease by 9000.

 An increase in systolic BP is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases including stroke. Passive smoking may raise BP to increase the risk of the diseases. Policy for passive smoking should be taken promptly.

 The achievement has been produced with the assistance of 2009 Research Grant Projects by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and by Japan Arteriosclerosis Prevention Fund.

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[Contact]

Professor Yutaka Imai

Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-717-7770

E-mail: rinsyo*mail.pharm.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Assistant Professor Ryusuke Inoue

Tohoku University Hospital Medical IT Center

TEL: +81-22-717-7504

E-mail: rinoue*sic.med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)