Second-hand smoke plus alcohol increase the risks of heart disease nearly 5-fold. According to a study conducted at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), exposure to cigarette smoke combined with alcohol consumption cause the greatest degree of cardiovascular disease.

The study was led by Scott Ballinger, associate professor in the UAB Department of Pathology. The contributors to the study also included researchers at the Institute of Toxicology and Environmental Health at the University of California, Davis. Grant support came from the National Institutes of Health.

The study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine, revealed that exposure to cigarette smoke and alcohol increases artery lesions. Artery lesions are a common problem in heavy smokers and a key sign of advancing cardiovascular disease.postpartum depression