Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Increase in Hospital Procedures for Heart Failure Patients: Study

Long-term exposure to fine particulate air matter pollution increases the likelihood of in-hospital procedures for adults with heart failure, according to a study published in PLOS One. The study analyzed electronic health records data from over 15,000 patients with HF and found that stress tests, HbA1c screenings, and prothrombin time tests were the most commonly used procedures. The study’s lead author, Cavin Ward-Caviness, warns that poor air quality can have an impact on individual health and may cause patient morbidity, which consequently results in medical costs. Ward-Caviness suggests that investigating the relationship between elevated concentrations of ambient particulate matter and hospital procedures may offer a new perspective on air pollution’s health effects and environmental exposures’ impact on the healthcare industry’s economics.