Occasional smokers could run the same risk of heart disease as regular smokers, a study by the Ohio State University College of Nursing in Columbus has shown.

Axar.az reports citing to PressTV he study, published on Thursday, suggests that so-called social smokers, who only light up on special occasions, may equally be at risk of heart disease compared with people on a daily cigarette habit.

The researchers involved in the study examined data on smoking habits, cholesterol levels and blood pressure for a nationally representative sample of 39,555 adults.

Most people said they did not smoke. About 17 percent were current smokers and about 10 percent were social smokers who did not have a daily habit but did regularly smoke in certain situations.

The study found that social smokers were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, compared with non-smokers. The social smokers, the study said, were 53 percent more likely to have elevated cholesterol.

Kate Gawlik, the lead study author and a researcher at the university, said, "These results provide strong evidence that smoking, regardless of amount, is an even stronger indicator of cardiovascular risk than previously thought."