New Delhi, Aug. 2: A smoker’s spouse has a higher risk of stroke than someone whose partner is a non-smoker, according to a new study by Harvard researchers investigating the effects of second-hand smoke.

While a number of previous studies have highlighted the impact of environmental tobacco smoke — also called passive smoking — on lung health and heart disease, few studies have examined its impact on the risk of stroke.

Maria Glymour at the Harvard School of Public Health and her colleagues have now found that being married to a current smoker translates into a 42 per cent increased risk of stroke compared to a partner who has never smoked.

The study, based on tracking the health of more than 16,000 people over a nine-year period, also suggests that the increased risk of stroke is eliminated when the spouse stops smoking.

Spouses who had never smoked and were married to former smokers had the same risk as spouses married to people who never smoked.

The findings have been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“The health benefits of quitting smoking likely extend beyond individual smokers to affect their spouses,” said Glymour, assistant professor at the Harvard institute.