Ischemic stroke risk and passive exposure to spouses' cigarette smoking

Objectives. This study investigated the association between ischemic stroke risk and passive exposure to cigarette smoking. Methods. Risk factors among 452 hospitalized cases of first-episode ischemic stroke were compared with 452 age- and sex-matched "neighborhood" controls. Results. The risk of stroke was twice as high for subjects whose spouses smoked as for those whose spouses did not smoke (95% confidence interval = 1.3, 3.1), after adjustment for the subject's own smoking, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and education level. These results were confirmed when analysis was limited to those who never smoked. Conclusions. These findings provide evidence that spousal smoking may be a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke.