Occasional smoking can damage arteries

Published: Oct. 8, 2008 at 8:09 PM ATHENS, Ga., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Even occasional cigarette smoking can impair the functioning of your arteries, University of Georgia researchers said. Study co-author Kevin McCully said that researchers used ultrasound to measure how the arteries of young, healthy adults respond to changes in blood flow. Previous studies have shown reductions in the arterial health of people who smoke regularly, McCully said, but what's surprising about this study is that the study subjects were occasional smokers -- less than... [read full story]