Impact of Ban on Smoking in Pubs, Restaurants and Nightclubs on Endothelial Function in Workers

Endothelium is considered a real member, so it is contributing to determine the vascular homeostasis. The presence of endothelial dysfunction, evaluated in peripheral arteries by non-invasive study of the variation of gauge of the brachial artery as a result of post-ischemic hyperemia (FMD), is predictive of occurrence of major cardiovascular events. Several recent studies have shown that passive smoking is correlated with endothelial dysfunction and, therefore, non-smokers exposed subjects to passive smoking, have an increased risk of occurrence cardiovascular pathologies. From January 2008, a ministerial decree will ban smoking in bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The impact of exposure end to smoking in non-smoking subjects, as part of a prospective study and controlled, has never been evaluated.