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Air pollution associated with increased heart attack risk despite ‘safe’ levels
http://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Last-5-years/Air-pollution-associated-with-increased-heart-attack-risk-despite-safe-levels[font face=Serif][font size=5]Air pollution associated with increased heart attack risk despite ‘safe’ levels[/font]
30 Aug 2015
[font size=3]London, UK – 30 Aug 2015: Particulate matter and NO2 air pollution are associated with increased risk of severe heart attacks despite being within European recommended levels, according to research presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Jean-Francois Argacha, a cardiologist at University Hospital Brussels (UZ Brussel-Vrije Universiteit Brussel), in Belgium.1
…
The current study investigated the effect of short term exposure to air pollution on the risk of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This type of myocardial infarction has the worst prognosis and is caused by thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery that damages the heart.
…
Between 2009 and 2013, there were 11 428 hospitalisations for STEMI. The researchers found that 10 ?g/m3 increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a 2.8% increase in STEMI while 10 ?g/m3 rises in NO2 were associated with a 5.1% increased risk (Figure 1). These associations were only observed in men.
“The association between STEMI and air pollution was observed within one day of exposure,” said Dr Argacha. “This was despite the fact that concentrations of air pollutants were within the European air quality standard. It’s possible that only men were affected because of the under representation of women in our study population (less than 25%). Nevertheless, previous studies have demonstrated that blood pressure, arterial stiffness and heart rate variability abnormalities secondary to air pollution exposure are more pronounced in men. Sex differences in obesity and blood inflammation may worsen air pollutant effects but this hypothesis requires further investigation.”
…[/font]
Figure 1: Odds ratio of STEMI for each 10 ?g/m³ rise in air pollutant
Abbreviations: STEMI: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, PM: particulate matter, NO₂: Nitrogen dioxide, O₃: ozone
[/font]
30 Aug 2015
[font size=3]London, UK – 30 Aug 2015: Particulate matter and NO2 air pollution are associated with increased risk of severe heart attacks despite being within European recommended levels, according to research presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Jean-Francois Argacha, a cardiologist at University Hospital Brussels (UZ Brussel-Vrije Universiteit Brussel), in Belgium.1
…
The current study investigated the effect of short term exposure to air pollution on the risk of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This type of myocardial infarction has the worst prognosis and is caused by thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery that damages the heart.
…
Between 2009 and 2013, there were 11 428 hospitalisations for STEMI. The researchers found that 10 ?g/m3 increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a 2.8% increase in STEMI while 10 ?g/m3 rises in NO2 were associated with a 5.1% increased risk (Figure 1). These associations were only observed in men.
“The association between STEMI and air pollution was observed within one day of exposure,” said Dr Argacha. “This was despite the fact that concentrations of air pollutants were within the European air quality standard. It’s possible that only men were affected because of the under representation of women in our study population (less than 25%). Nevertheless, previous studies have demonstrated that blood pressure, arterial stiffness and heart rate variability abnormalities secondary to air pollution exposure are more pronounced in men. Sex differences in obesity and blood inflammation may worsen air pollutant effects but this hypothesis requires further investigation.”
…[/font]
Figure 1: Odds ratio of STEMI for each 10 ?g/m³ rise in air pollutant
Abbreviations: STEMI: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, PM: particulate matter, NO₂: Nitrogen dioxide, O₃: ozone
[/font]