Breathing other people's tobacco smoke may raise women's risk of peripheral arterial disease, according to a study recently published in the journal Circulation.

In the study–which was conducted in China, where two-thirds of men and very few women smoke—researchers assessed 1,209 non-smoking women to see if they had peripheral arterial disease or other cardiovascular diseases. Nearly 40 percent of the women were exposed to a significant amount of secondhand smoke at work or home.

Women exposed to secondhand smoke had roughly a 67-percent greater risk of peripheral arterial disease, as well as a 69-percent higher risk of coronary heart disease and a 56-percent higher risk of stroke.

Peripheral arterial disease is caused by a buildup of plaque in arteries, commonly the ones feeding your legs. Symptoms often include cramping or aching in the legs during physical activity, with pain subsiding when you rest; wounds on the legs that heal poorly; and pale skin on the legs. However, it may have no symptoms.

If you have peripheral arterial disease, your doctor may want you to treat it by taking medications or making lifestyle changes that lower your blood pressure or cholesterol; exercising more; or taking medicine to make your blood less likely to clot. In severe cases, you may require a surgical procedure to restore blood flow to your legs.

Learn more about peripheral arterial disease screening.

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