Health Poor air permanently damages our heart health

How does air pollution affect your health??

The ever increasing air pollution threatens the health of millions of people worldwide. Researchers have now discovered that air pollution is even associated with changes in the structure of the heart, as can be seen in early stages of heart failure.

The scientists at Queen Mary University of London found in their recent research that global air pollution is linked to changes in the structure of the heart. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "Circulation".

It is well known that air pollution increases the risk of cancer. According to a recent study, pollution also causes changes in the heart. (Image: martin33 / fotolia.com)

What problems does air pollution cause??

The findings of the new study could help explain the increased number of deaths in high-pollution areas, say the experts. For example, a survey from last year showed that people in the UK die 64 times more frequently in air pollution than people in Sweden. Such premature deaths can be linked to a number of causes, including respiratory problems, stroke and coronary heart disease.

Unfortunately, causes were still unknown

What is not known, however, is the mechanism behind why air pollution leads to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, study author explains. Nay Aung from the Queen Mary University of London. The latest study helps to resolve this puzzle. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, known as PM2.5 and PM10 particles, is associated with an increase in the size of two chambers of the heart.

Nearly 4,000 subjects were examined

The authors add that similar changes can affect the performance of the heart and are often seen before the onset of heart failure. The team used data from almost 4,000 volunteer participants for the investigation. These subjects were between 40 and 69 years old and at baseline were free of cardiovascular disease.

Concentration of pollutants at the place of residence was taken into account

Decisive were MRI scans of the heart, which provided detailed images of the structure and function of the heart. The study also included estimates of the outdoor concentrations of various pollutants at the residences of the participants, which were made about five years before the scan. After reviewing factors such as age, gender, income, and smoking habits, the team found that higher exposure to PM2.5 particles, PM10 particles, and nitrogen dioxide was associated with greater volumes of right and left ventricles, respectively.

Increasing ventricular size is an early warning sign of congestive heart failure

The size of the identified effect is small, but still important, Dr. Aung. This effect size is comparable to other known cardiac risk factors such as high blood pressure. It was also found that as the blood pressure increases, the size of the heart increases. Although the increase in ventricular size was small in this study, this is an early warning that the increased risk of heart failure could be explained in people who are exposed to a higher level of contamination. As the heart chambers get bigger, it indicates that the heart is under stress. If such changes are not treated or reversed, the heart may fail in the long run. Dr. Aung explained that the study found that an increase in exposure to PM2.5 of 1 μg / m3 was related to an increase in the size of each ventricle of just under 1%. He stressed that the results were very worrying as most of the participants lived in areas with relatively low levels of air pollution.

Air pollution in some areas is well above the limit

On average, participants were exposed to PM2.5 concentrations of 8-12 μg per cubic meter, which are close to the WHO recommended limit of 10 μg / m³. Last year's research showed that in some polluted areas, such as central London, the average PM2.5 concentration was above 18 μg / m3, with levels even higher on days of poor soiling. Previous studies have also shown that mice exposed to high levels of PM2.5 develop larger left ventricles, the authors explain.

Stricter air quality standards are needed

The study results are worrying as they show the serious health effects of air pollution, even if it is still well below the legal limits. It requires stricter and more binding air quality standards that reflect the latest scientific evidence and help protect people from the serious damage that air pollution poses to health, the physicians add. (As)