Particles from burning candles contribute to the overall indoor exposure to particulate matter (PM). However, little is known about the effects of indoor sources of particles on cardiovascular disease endpoints. This study investigated the effect of pulmonary exposure to particles from combustion of candles and progression of atherosclerosis. Telomere shortening was assessed in tissues due to its relationship to risk of cardiovascular diseases. The particles were collected from burning candles and used for toxicological studies in cultured endothelial cells and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice. Three hours exposure to particles increased the production of reactive oxygen species in endothelial cells, whereas there was no effect on cytotoxicity. Intratracheal instillation of particles (0.5 or 5 mg/kg) once a week for 5 weeks in ApoE-/- mice was associated with an accelerated progression of atherosclerosis in aorta and telomere shortening in the lung and spleen, whereas there was no effect on inflammation in the lungs (i.e. cell numbers), cell damage (i.e. lactate dehydrogenase) and lung barrier damage (i.e. protein concentration) as measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The results indicate that particles from burning candles are hazardous and this indoor emission source is an important contribution to the health risk of exposure to PM.