A large study showed that a sudden increase in air pollution increases the risk of arrhythmias.
A study based on nearly 200,000 hospitalizations in China found a significant increase in the risk of arrhythmias in the first few hours after rising air pollution levels.
An irregular heartbeat can increase the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death.
“We found that acute exposure to outdoor air pollution is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic arrhythmias. The risk occurs within the first hours after exposure and may persist for up to 24 hours,” said Dr. Renji Chen from Fudan University in Shanghai.
A study last year found a link between particulate air pollution and irregular heartbeats in healthy teenagers and confirmed that this leads to significant health risks.
A recent study included 190,115 patients admitted to hospitals in 322 cities in China who had sudden cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, extrasystoles, and supraventricular tachycardia (or supraventricular tachycardia).
Air pollution in China far exceeds World Health Organization air quality standards. The researchers analyzed the concentrations of six air pollutants at monitoring stations closest to the hospitals participating in the study.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had the strongest association with all four types of arrhythmias.
The exact effect of air pollution is not clear, but there is some evidence that it causes oxidative stress and inflammation, which can affect the electrical activity of the heart.
“Although the exact mechanisms are not yet fully understood, the association between air pollution and the acute onset of arrhythmia that we observed is biologically plausible,” the researchers write.
Previous research has shown that on polluted days in England, hundreds of people are taken to hospitals for emergency care after suffering heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks. And in 2020, the British Heart Foundation estimated that more than 160,000 people could die in the next decade from air pollution-related strokes and heart attacks. The health implications go far beyond cardiovascular disease, as research has shown that particulate air pollution leads to higher rates of lung cancer by awakening dormant mutations that lead to tumor growth.
The researchers noted that the results, published by the Canadian Medical Association, highlight the need to protect vulnerable people during times of severe air pollution and reduce population exposure.
Source: Guardian
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