A number of possible cardiovascular problems like artery clogging plaques, artery thickness and high blood pressure could actually be a result of exposure to smoke from inefficient cookstoves using animal dung, firewood and crop residue, according to a new study from the Washington University. This conclusion was drawn after studying a sample of 266 men and women in Peru, Puno, and other surrounding communities. Even after adjusting factors like BMI, cholesterol levels, and other factors known to affect cardiovascular health, it was found that the rural inefficient stove users had significantly thicker carotid arteries. Read more here.