High blood pressure due to particulate matter in the city

Environmental protection: High levels of particulate matter can sustainably increase blood pressure in cities.

(20.05.2010) In cities, high levels of particulate matter pollution persist. It is not new that environmental pollution threatens people and animals in their health. A long-term study in the Ruhr Area came to the conclusion that high fine dust levels in the air can permanently lead to hypertension. Due to the concentration of industry and car traffic, particulate matter levels in cities are particularly high. Often the values ​​are exceeded.

Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen explained their findings at a US symposium of the "American Thoracic Society" in New Orleans. The scientists had examined in a study about 5000 people over years. The results suggest that even particulate matter concentrations below the specified limits will cause lasting damage to health. "Our results show that blood pressure is also influenced in the medium and long term in areas with high levels of air pollution," says study leader Barbara Hoffmann.

In the course of the study, the scientists first examined the background pollution of particulate matter in the 600 square kilometer region around Mühlheim, Bochum and Essen. In one model, real measurement data were calibrated in the region. The background burdens in the region were related to the health data of the nearly 5000 inhabitants of the investigated region. The study participants were between 45 and 75 years old. The subjects were examined from 2000 to 2003 and 2006 to 2008 for diseases such as heart attack and diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, the researchers raised other risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet, age, social status diabetes and body weight. Because all of these risk factors can also increase blood pressure chronically and thus lead to cardiovascular complications.

Due to the very differentiated evaluations, the other risk factors could be separated from the factor fine dust. If the particulate matter in the cities increases by 2.4 micrograms per cubic meter of air, the blood pressure also increases by one pressure. "Our findings are likely to explain why people living in environments that are more particulate-laden are at greater risk of contracting and dying from cardiovascular disease," says Baumann. (Sb)

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