Heavily polluted areas have a higher rate of angioplasty procedures to treat blocked arteries compared to areas with clean air, reports a new study. The findings of the study are presented at the ESC Congress 2019.
Study author Dr. Rafal Januszek of the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland said: "Epidemiological studies have reported negative impacts of pollution on the cardiovascular system, but the effects on specific diseases were unclear. We also show for the first time that patients from areas with cleaner air are more sensitive to changes in pollution, while those from more polluted cities can adapt to fluctuations."
Air Pollution
Nearly 2.4 million deaths every year are attributable to air pollution. Air pollutants may be solid particles, liquid droplets or gases. Proper planning methods should be adopted to reduce air pollution.
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‘Angioplasty procedures are more common in areas plagued by toxic air and during winter.’
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Using particulate matter (PM) 10 levels published by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Poland, six unpolluted cities and five polluted cities were selected for the study. PM10 are particles ten micrometers or less in diameter. Sources include industrial processes like iron making and quarrying, lawn mowing, wood and coal stoves, bushfires, dust storms, and vehicle exhaust emissions.
The study enrolled 5,648 patients from unpolluted cities and 10,239 patients from polluted cities. All patients underwent stent insertion (percutaneous coronary intervention; PCI) to open arteries blocked due to acute coronary syndromes (heart attack or unstable angina). PCI data were obtained from the ORPKI Polish National PCI Registry.
![Exposure to Air Pollution Causes Your Lungs to Age Faster and Increases Lung Disease Risk]( "Exposure to Air Pollution Causes Your Lungs to Age Faster and Increases Lung Disease Risk")
Exposure to outdoor air pollution causes faster aging of lung tissue, reduce lung function and increase the risk of developing the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Dates of PCI procedures were matched with air quality on the same day during a 52-week period. Analyses were also performed to compare winter versus non-winter weeks because pollution levels rise during winter.
The annual average PM10 concentration was significantly higher in polluted cities (50.95 μg/m3) compared to unpolluted cities (26.62 μg/m3). In both polluted and unpolluted areas, a rise in PM10 concentration was significantly associated with a greater frequency of PCI.
Patients in cities with clean air were more sensitive to pollution rises, with each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration linked to 0.22 additional PCIs per week. While in polluted cities, the same rise in PM10 was linked with just 0.18 additional PCIs per week.
Regarding the seasonal effect, the PCI rate was significantly lower in non-winter, compared to winter, weeks in both polluted and clean cities. "The higher incidence of PCI in winter is related to greater air pollution during this period," said Dr. Januszek. "This is due to several factors, such as artificial heating and the resulting smog."
He concluded: "The study shows that the incidence of acute coronary syndromes treated with PCI was higher in winter and rose along with increasing pollution, and this rise was higher in regions with initially cleaner air if taking the same increment in pollution into account. This is further evidence that more needs to be done to lower pollution levels and protect the public's health."
Source: Eurekalert
Exposure to Air Pollution Causes Your Lungs to Age Faster and Increases Lung Disease Risk
Exposure to outdoor air pollution causes faster aging of lung tissue, reduce lung function and increase the risk of developing the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Dates of PCI procedures were matched with air quality on the same day during a 52-week period. Analyses were also performed to compare winter versus non-winter weeks because pollution levels rise during winter.
The annual average PM10 concentration was significantly higher in polluted cities (50.95 μg/m3) compared to unpolluted cities (26.62 μg/m3). In both polluted and unpolluted areas, a rise in PM10 concentration was significantly associated with a greater frequency of PCI.
Patients in cities with clean air were more sensitive to pollution rises, with each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration linked to 0.22 additional PCIs per week. While in polluted cities, the same rise in PM10 was linked with just 0.18 additional PCIs per week.
Regarding the seasonal effect, the PCI rate was significantly lower in non-winter, compared to winter, weeks in both polluted and clean cities. "The higher incidence of PCI in winter is related to greater air pollution during this period," said Dr. Januszek. "This is due to several factors, such as artificial heating and the resulting smog."
He concluded: "The study shows that the incidence of acute coronary syndromes treated with PCI was higher in winter and rose along with increasing pollution, and this rise was higher in regions with initially cleaner air if taking the same increment in pollution into account. This is further evidence that more needs to be done to lower pollution levels and protect the public's health."
Source: Eurekalert
World Environment Day - Together, We Can Beat Air Pollution
World Environment Day (WED) observed annually on the 5th June aims to spread awareness about the dangers of environmental pollution and is a wake-up call to all of us to do our part to preserve and protect our environment.
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 Millions of Children Develop Asthma Due to Traffic PollutionTraffic pollution increases the risk of asthma in children in urban areas. Nearly 4 million children across the world develop asthma each year as a result of inhaling nitrogen dioxide resulting from air and traffic pollution. | Advertisement
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