Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Childhood and Mortality from Coronary Heart Disease in Adulthood: the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk

Aims: We examined whether secondhand smoke exposure in childhood affects the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in adulthood. Methods: In the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study, we analyzed data on 71,459 participants aged 40–79 years, with no history of CHD, stroke, or cancer at baseline (1988–1990) and who completed a lifestyle questionnaire including the number of smoking family members in childhood (0, 1, 2, and 3+ members) and followed them up until the end of 2009. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CHD mortality according to the number of smoking family members in childhood. Results: During the median 18.9 years’ follow-up, 955 CHD deaths were reported. There was a dose–response relationship between the number of smoking family members at home and CHD mortality among middle-aged individuals (40–59 years); the multivariable HRs (95% CIs) were 1.08 (0.76–1.54) for 1, 1.35 (0.87–2.08) for 2, and 2.49 (1.24–5.00) for 3+ smoking family members compared with 0 members (p for trend=0.03). The association for 3+ smoking family members among the middle-aged group was more evident in men than in women (the multivariable HRs [95% CIs] were 2.97 [1.34–6.58] and 1.65 [0.36–7.52], respectively) and more evident in non-current smokers than in current smokers (the multivariable HRs [95% CIs] were 4.24 [1.57–11.45] and 1.93 [0.72–5.15], respectively). Conclusions: Secondhand smoke exposure in childhood was associated with an increased risk of CHD mortality in adulthood, primarily in middle-aged men and non-current smokers.