09:12 21.01.2020Short url
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In a new study on the influence of ultrafine particles in air pollution on human health, researchers have found that they can trigger a heart attack by entering the blood and cells. In urban areas, these particles come mainly from automobile emissions.
– A team of researchers from Yale University in the United States and the Helmholtz Zentrum München Institute of Epidemiology in Germany have concluded that one of the main causes of sudden heart attacks is the influence of ultrafine particles often present in polluted air. This hypothesis was advanced in a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, Wednesday, January 15.
To reach these conclusions, the scientists analyzed data on non-fatal cases of myocardial infarction in Augsburg, Germany. 5,898 patients with a sudden heart attack took part in this experience. The timing of heart attacks was compared to air pollution values taking into account additional factors such as the day of the week and socioeconomic status.
It is specified that this study is considered to be the first epidemiological investigation on the impact of ultrafine particles on heart attacks.
“This study confirms something that has long been suspected: tiny particles of air pollution can play a role in serious heart disease. This is especially true during the first hours of exposure, “said Kai Chen, assistant professor at Yale University School of Public Health and first author of the study. “The high levels of ultrafine particles are a serious public health problem,” he said.
According to the study, it turned out that due to their small size, particles easily penetrate the blood and cells. Thus, in the first hours of impact on the body, they can cause heart dysfunction and cause a heart attack.
Myocardial infarction is the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the world when ultrafine particles reach a size of 100 nanometers or less. The main source of these particles is emissions from motor vehicles.
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