NATION IN BRIEF : TENNESSEE : Second-Hand Smoke Tied to Heart Disease

Exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke significantly narrows the arteries of nonsmokers, increasing their risk of heart disease, a researcher reported. The study is the first to use ultrasound to examine arteries directly to look for the effects of second-hand cigarette smoke, George Howard of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., told a meeting of the American Heart Assn. in Memphis, Tenn. Exposure to second-hand smoke is an established risk factor for lung cancer, but its role in heart disease has only recently become clear, researchers said.