Air Pollution Linked to Increased Heart Risk, Stroke Risk
Increasing evidence shows short and long-term exposure to air pollution directly elevates the risk of heart disease, stroke, or any other cardiovascular disease. So much so that the American Heart Association (AHA) now categorizes fine particle matter as a heart disease risk factor.
Fine particle matter is created by being suspended in the air as the result of various human activities like burning fossil fuels. These particles have been shown to have adverse effects on people.
An AHA expert panel reviewed epidemiological, molecular, and toxicological studies published during the past six years. The study found several links between air pollution and cardiovascular disease, such as:
- A few hours of week of exposure to fine particle matter can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease like heart attack or stroke. Vulnerable populations (people who already have high cardiovascular disease risk like the elderly) are particularly at risk.
- Long-term exposure to air pollution can further increase the risk and shorten lifespan by several months to a few years.
- There is a strong risk between air pollution exposure to ischemic heart disease
- There is a ‘modest’ link between air pollution and ischemic heart failure and ischemic stroke
- There is a ‘modest’ connection between air pollution and peripheral vascular disease, irregular heartbeats, and cardiac arrest.
Many organizations are taking steps to educate the world about the dangers of air pollution. The American Heart Association and the Environmental Protection Agency are working together to bring this issue to Capitol Hill. This is a fine demonstration on how dangerous air pollution really is.
Related posts:
- Smoking and Your Increased Risk of a Heart Attack Ever wonder if and how much smoking will increase your...
- Work Stress Increases Heart Risk for Women Younger women with high work stress have a greater chance...
- Sleep Apnea and Stroke Sleep apnea has been connected to an increased risk of...
- Vitamin D: Healthy for Your Heart Several recent studies have shown that low vitamin D levels...
- Specialized Stroke Hospitals – Americans Uninformed? Stroke is third leading cause of death in America. About...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
