Secondhand Smoke Increases Children's Risk Of Heart Disease Later In Life

New findings published in the journal Circulation show that children who are exposed to their parents' secondhand smoke are at double the risk of developing heart disease later in life.

For the study, over 2,500 children were examined throughout a 26 year period.

Findings revealed that those who had parents who smoked cigarettes had a significantky higher risk of having carotid atherosclerotic plaque, otherwise known as the plaque that builds up in the necks of adults as they age and particularly in smoking adults.

Furthermore, researchers found much higher rates of issues among children with smoking mothers.

Even those who practiced good habits by not smoking around their child still increased the risk for their offspring, but much less so, according to researchers.

On a similar note, recent findings from a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report have also shown that while nearly twice as many U.S. households are smoke-free compared to 20 years ago, reflecting increasing awareness of the dangers of smoking.

Still, many health officials are still hoping to sway many smokers who live with non-smokers. It's predicted that 41,000 non-smokers are killed from second-hand smoke annually.