Children whose fathers were exposed to secondhand smoke in childhood may face a higher risk of lung problems throughout life – including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – according to new research.
The study, published in the journal Thorax, suggests that the harmful effects of smoking may carry across generations. The risks are even greater if children themselves grow up around secondhand smoke.
COPD, an umbrella term for conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, affects around 3 million people globally each year and is now the third leading cause of death.
While smoking is the biggest risk factor, scientists are increasingly finding that early-life and even intergenerational exposures also play a role.
Researchers from the long-running Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) looked at whether fathers’ childhood exposure to secondhand smoke affected the lung health of their children later in life.
The study tracked more than 8,000 participants from childhood through to middle age, with follow-up surveys and lung function tests.
When researchers compared data from nearly 900 father-child pairs, they found a clear pattern: children whose fathers had been exposed to secondhand smoke before puberty were more likely to have lower-than-average lung function. They were also twice as likely to show a rapid decline in lung function, a warning sign for COPD.
By age 53, around 5% of children in the study had developed COPD. Having a father exposed to secondhand smoke as a child appeared to increase that risk, although the link weakened when other factors such as asthma and smoking history were taken into account.
The risks were even greater when both generations had grown up around smokers. Children who had their own exposure to secondhand smoke, as well as fathers who had, were about twice as likely to show poor lung function compared with those who had not.
The researchers said; ‘Our findings are novel as this is the first study to investigate and provide evidence for an adverse association of paternal prepubertal passive smoke exposure, rather than just active smoking, on impaired lung function of offspring by middle age.
‘This is of importance from a public health perspective, as passive smoke exposure affects about 63% of adolescents, which is significantly higher than the approximately 7% affected by active smoking.
‘These findings suggest that smoking may adversely affect lung function not only in smokers but also in their children and grandchildren. Fathers exposed to tobacco smoke during prepuberty may still reduce risk for future generations by avoiding smoking around their children.’
The full research can be read here.
Photo: Sujith R
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