Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Death Rates

While the world is responding to the news of the threat offered by global warming (or climate change, as some prefer to call it), a slightly nearer warning is being ignored. It’s been known that air pollution causes increased cardiovascular disease, but this hasn’t been quantified to a satisfactory extent – until now.

Seattle scientists have collected data from the Women’s Health Initiative and published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. The analysis followed 60,000 postmenopausal women living in 36 US cities who were situated within 30 miles of an air pollution monitor. Air particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM_2.5) were measured, along with larger particles, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone. Cardiovascular disease and deaths were recorded during the following 6 years, and analyzed in relation to the individual pollution levels of the victim.

For an increase of 10 PM_2.5/mm³ in exposure, there was a 25% increase in the occurrence of any cardiovascular event, a 75% increase in any form of cardiovascular death, and over twice the risk of coronary heart disease death or stroke. This information should allow one to recognize increased risks of such deaths in places where air pollution from particulate matter is high. The good news is that there was no increase in risk associated with the other air pollutants measured.

Once again, this study was done in older women – the average age was 63. But there’s absolutely no reason to believe that they don’t carry the same implications for men in the same age group.

Comments

[coloncleanseKat]

all the more reason to look at how we power the planet. This medical issue you describe will rise at a ever incresing rate if we continue as a species to posion the ecosystem, our tiny little home.. Note haow the air quality improved dramatically in just the several days that airliners were grounded nationwide as a result of the events of 11 sept!