Secondhand smoke is a major concern for college students

It’s no secret that smokers put themselves at risk for health problems. However, what many don’t realize is the deadly reality of secondhand smoke—and according to a new study, college students are especially vulnerable to this danger. Secondhand smoke is estimated to be responsible for 3,000 lung-cancer deaths among nonsmokers every year. Researchers at the Wake Forest School of Medicine surveyed 4,223 college students from 10 North Carolina universities and found that 83 percent of the students were exposed to secondhand smoke at least once in the week before the survey. Although some college campuses are smoke free, many have no restrictions on smoking. The study found that increased exposure to secondhand smoke was linked to living in residences where smoking is allowed or places associated with smoking, such as Greek houses or off-campus homes. Other factors that raise the risk included being white or female, having parents with higher education levels and attending public school.

Veterans’ exposure to Agent Orange could cause heart disease

During the Vietnam War, American forces sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange, an herbicide and defoliant used by the military, over parts of Vietnam. This was done to cut back the thick jungle that hid North Vietnamese forces. But it also exposed many American troops, as well as many North Vietnamese, to chemicals that scientists now say could be the cause of Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease, a condition involving reduced blood supply to the heart. This condition could lead to heart attack and stroke, and is the leading cause of death among people in industrialized countries. You’re at risk of developing ischemic heart disease if you have cholesterol buildup in the arteries, diabetes or high blood pressure or if you smoke. In a review of 16 studies, the researchers found that veterans who were exposed to these herbicides seem to have a higher risk of developing ischemic heart disease, though more research is needed to confirm the findings.

OJ may keep the doctor away

Drinking a glass of orange juice every morning is not just a delicious way to start your day—it’s also heart smart! Researchers say that an antioxidant in orange juice known as hesperidin improves blood vessel function and helps lower your risk of heart disease. Hesperidin is a flavonoid, and many recent studies have shown that flavonoids are good for the delicate cells that line blood vessels. In a small study, 24 otherwise healthy men who were at risk for cardiovascular disease each drank one of three drinks: either 500 milliliters of orange juice, an energy drink that contained the same calories as orange juice and a placebo capsule or the energy drink fortified with a capsule containing 292 milligrams of hesperidin (the same amount found in a 500-milliliter glass of orange juice). After a month of drinking each beverage, researchers found that when the men drank the orange juice or the beverage that was fortified with hesperidin, their cells functioned better and they had lower diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) than when they drank the nonhesperidin beverage. So if you’re looking for an easy, refreshing way to keep your heart healthy and strong, consider beginning your day with a glass of OJ.

Trans fat ban is working in New York City

A ban that was put in place in December 2006 in New York City has effectively reduced trans fat use in restaurants—and this success has inspired other cities to do the same. In a series of studies published by The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers concluded that trans fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease more than any other macronutrient and are harmful even in small doses. Increasing trans fat intake by just 2 percent can increase the risk of heart attack or cardiovascular problems by 23 percent. Researchers estimate that trans fats cause between 30,000 and 100,000 cardiac deaths per year. New York City restaurants have reduced the use of trans fats from 50 percent to less than 2 percent, and customers don’t seem to mind. It’s yet to be proven that the trans fat ban has improved New Yorkers’ health, but studies show that there are many health benefits to cutting out trans fats. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health Department of Nutrition found that eliminating trans fats from the food supply could prevent more than 225,000 heart attacks and related deaths each year in the U.S. alone. With such incredible progress being made in New York, at least 13 jurisdictions, including California, have decided to follow suit. The idea is catching on all over the country, and it appears that the nation is taking the right steps to becoming heart smart and healthy.