Parental smoking is the most important source of passive exposure to smoke in young children. The question is whether involuntary smoking affects and clotting factors, which are known cardiovascular risk factors. The study population consisted of 77 children below the age of 12 years: Group I - offsprings of CHD-active-smoking parents, Group II - offsprings of CHD-non-smoking parents, Group III - offsprings of healthy-active-smoking parents and Group IV - offsprings of healthy- non-smoking parents. Total cholesterol (TCh), LDL-Ch, HDL-Ch, Lp(a), apolipoprotein AI and B, LCAT activity, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor and platelet factor 4 were determined from overnight fasting plasma. TCh, LDL-Ch, Lp(a), LDL/HDL ratio and platelet factor 4 increased, while LCAT activity decreased in all involuntary smoking children. There was a significant correlation observed between the CHD risk factors in children with the number of cigarettes smoked daily by their parents. In conclusion: passive smoking increases cardiovascular risk factors especially in children with positive family history of CHD.

Keywords: Passive smoking, Blood Coagulation Factors, Lipids, children