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

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.