Children whose parents smoke could suffer irreversible damage to their health well into adulthood, a new study has found. Researchers say those exposed to their parents' smoking have less elasticity in their arteries, an early indicator of poor cardiovascular health.
The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania is involved in the international study, the first to look at the long-term effects of parental smoking on children's blood vessel health.
"It seems to have a direct effect," research fellow Dr Seana Gall told reporters on Wednesday.
"The chemicals in cigarette smoke interact with the lining of the blood vessels and that seems to be causing an inability of them to expand and contract properly.
