- Researchers investigated the effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health.
- They found that air pollution is linked to higher numbers of years of life lost, deaths, and years spent in disability.
- The study found a correlation between air pollution and cardiovascular health, but not a causative link.
Around 91% of the world’s population lives in places where the air quality index exceeds limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
Air pollution is one of the largest risk factors for disability, alongside high blood pressure, smoking, and high blood glucose levels. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which contribute to around 1 in 3 deaths globally.
Air pollution in the form of particulate matter (PM) is usually classified into three subgroups based on particle diameter:
- Coarse particles: Fewer than 10μm but more than 2.5μm (i.e., dust, pollen, and fly ash).
- Fine particles: Fewer than 2.5μm but more than 0.1μm (i.e., combustion particles and smoke).
- Ultra-fine particles: Fewer than 0.1μm (i.e., diesel exhaust particles and wood burning).
Research shows fine particulate matter is the most influential environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality and disability.
Further study of the link between PM 2.5 and cardiovascular health over time could inform public health policy and recommendations.
Recently, researchers investigated the effects of PM 2.5 and cardiovascular-related deaths. They found that between 1990 and 2019, the number of premature cardiovascular disease deaths and years of disability linked to PM 2.5 increased by 31% globally.
Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, not involved in the study, told MNT:
“The study shows on a global…
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