Impact of Secondhand smoking on Dyslipidaemia among non-smokers: findings from the 2015-2016 NHANES dataset in the United States

Abstract

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This research was supported by the Brain Pool Program supported through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2020H1D3A1A04081265). Background Dyslipidemia is a prominent risk factor of mortality globally. While active smoking has been implicated in the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide, there is little understanding on the impact of subtle secondhand smoke exposure (SHSE) on dyslipidaemia among non-smokers. Purpose This study assessed the association of SHSE with dyslipidaemia among non-smoking adults from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States. Method Participants for this study were 3,064 non-smoking adults (≥18years) identified through a multistage sampling method in the United States. Data on sociodemographic, lifestyle and history of CVD were collected using standard operating principles. Also, fasting blood samples were collected by trained personnel to determine blood lipid profiles. SHSE was defined as exposure to smoke from a burning cigarette (exhaled by a smoker) in an indoor environment or a blood cotinine concentration ≥ 0.05 ng/ml. Dyslipidemia was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. Logistic regression was adopted to estimate the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between SHSE and dyslipidaemia at a two-sided P < 0.05. Results The mean age of respondents was 46.4 ± 18.0years, 63.2% were females, 36.2% reported SHSE, and 59.6% had dyslipidemia. The aOR and 95% CI among respondents with SHSE was 1.148 (1.147-1.149) in the entire sample. Similarly, odds of dyslipidaemia in the light of SHSE was 1.130 (1.129-1.131) among those < 60 years, 1.304 (1.300-1.308)] among those ≥ 60 years, 1.165 (1.163-1.167) among males and 1.214 (1.212-1.215) among females. Conclusion(s) SHSE was associated with higher odds of dyslipidaemia and might be an often missed risk factor in the risk of dyslipidaemia. Primary prevention strategies(s) might be necessary to reduce the impact of SHSE on the burden of dyslipidaemia and CVD worldwide.