Research Proposal On The Health Risk Of Secondhand Smoke

in the Development of Heart Diseases
I. Topic Sentence
Passive smoking is associated with the increased rate of morbidity due to smoke-related diseases, and people who are exposed to it are at risks of developing adverse health consequences such as cardiovascular problems.
II. Abstract
Secondhand smoke contains many chemicals, including substances that can stimulate the development of cardiovascular diseases. People should be concerned because even non smokers are at risk from cigarette smoke when they are exposed to it regularly, due to the thousands of toxic chemicals found in it. Inhaling these substances can lead to serious and life-threatening health concerns. Consequently, those who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher possibility of developing lung, nasal and other forms of cancer and diseases. It also upsets the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels which leads to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The dangers associated with secondhand smoke should encourage people to be concerned about exposure to this toxic substance. It is to be noted that even a minimal level of exposure, when they add up can lead to distressing results.
This paper aims to discuss the dangers associated with inhaling second hand smoke. The discussion includes the different chemicals found in cigarette, especially those that are suspected to cause cancer. In addition to that, is the focus of the literature review where two scholarly research about the effect of passive smoking to the cardiovascular system and the development of diseases in the system.
III. Literature Review
Barnoya, J., & Glantz, S., (2005) Cardiovascular Effects of Secondhand Smoke: Nearly as Large as Smoking. Journal of the American Heart Association. San Francisco
This article suggests that secondhand smoke intensifies the danger of developing coronary heart disease by about thirty percent. An accumulated result from diverse researches from 1985 onwards showed that the relative risks of heart problems due to passive smoking are larger than what people normally expected. Based on literature reviews of studies published since 1995, the impact of secondhand smoke showed that the cardiovascular system is intricately sensitive to the poisonous substances from secondhand smoke. It was found that a few minutes to hours of exposure to passive smoke almost have a similar rate of effect with people who are chronic active smokers. Some of the observed health problems include increased aggregation of platelets, endothelial dysfunction, problems in the arteries, weakening of the heart muscle and inflammation among others. Accordingly, this article will be used substantially as a reference throughout the research to provide a detailed discussion of the adverse effect of secondhand smoke in the development of cardiovascular dysfunction.
Ambrose, J., & Barua, R., (2004) The Pathophysiology of Cigaretter Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease: An Update., Journal of the American College of Cardiology
This article explains the role cigarette smoke as a health hazard, especially in its role in significantly contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cigarette smoke from active and passive smoking affects all stages of atherosclerosis from endothelial impairment to serious clinical problems which are largely thrombotic. Any person who is regularly exposed to passive and active smoke are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Studies revealed that cigarette smoke has about 4,000 poisonous chemicals, and one of which is the Carbon monoxide that was found to be responsible in many cases of cardiovascular dysfunction. While researchers have yet to establish the linear dose effect of smoke to cardiovascular risk, an association between cigarette smoke and higher risk of cardiovascular disease has been clearly confirmed. This article's discussion of the physical and chemical properties of cigarette smoke, as well as the different clinical and experimental observations will be helpful in the research.
IV. Outline
a. Main Point
Cigarette smoke contains physical and biochemical properties that largely contribute to the development of diseases. It was found that cigarette smoke contains thousands of harmful substances, but only a few of them were studied in isolation. At this point, the discussion will focus on the different components of cigarette smoke that is known to cause cardiovascular problems such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons known to trigger atherosclerosis.
b. Main Point
 Continuous exposure to cigarette smoke intensifies the free radical imbalances that lead to potential mechanisms that initiate cardiovascular impairment. Oxidative stress due to free radicals can lead to arterial diseases, and these free radicals are produced from the gas or the tar phase of cigarette smoke. The effects of increased oxidative stress may result to many cardiovascular dysfunction.
c. Main Point
There is a substantial and rapid effect of secondhand smoke, and this explains the rather large risks associated with developing cardiovascular dysfunction as reported in epidemiological studies. The impact of passive smoke cannot be set aside, as it was found that passive smoking has been attributed to a large number of cardiovascular problems. This conclusion was made after a considerable comparison of of both active and passive smokers in a study.