Millions of Britons face higher risk of heart failure due to dirty air, study suggests | Air pollution

Millions of British face a higher risk of stroke or heart failure due to dirty air where they live.

People living in the United Kingdom regions with the worst levels of air pollution are 27% more likely to develop heart failure, compared to people in areas with clean air, suggests a study.

The risk of stroke was 7% higher in the worst areas, according to research. The results were presented at the European Cardiology Society Conference in Madrid, the largest heart conference in the world.

The main author of the study, Ghita Housni, of William Harvey Research Institute of Queen Mary University of London, said: “We know that clearer means healthier hearts, and this research explodes the impact of air pollution on public health.

“Reducing your exposure to air pollution is a crucial element to prevent heart conditions in the modern era and reduce your risk of heart failure and stroke. We must improve air quality by introducing public health strategies that strongly prioritize cardiovascular protection. “

In the study, researchers followed 299,323 people for a decade between 2010 and 2020.

Using data from the British study Biobank, the team examined the average PM2.5 levels in the fields where participants lived. They then studied heart failure and stroke in the same people for a decade.

PM2.5 is a pollutant freed from sources, including vehicles, industry and household heating. The particles are 30 times smaller than the width of human hair, making it small enough to enter the bloodstream after being inhaled.

Those who live in the worst 10% of areas for PM2.5 pollution had a 27% higher risk of developing heart failure, compared to people at least 10% of areas for PM2.5 pollution. The risk of having a stroke was 7% higher for people in areas with the dirtiest air, the study revealed.

For each additional microgram in an area where people lived, the risk of developing heart failure increased by 7% and the risk of stroke increased by 3%.

There was also a slight increase in the risk that someone experienced a heart attack with more than PM2.5, but the link was not statistically significant.

Because PM2.5 does not belong to the body, when inspired, the immune system reacts excessively to cause inflammation. When blood vessels become ignited, they become more rigid and more prone to fatty accumulation.

This can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of having a stroke. The heart must also work harder to pump blood through inflamed blood vessels, which, over time, can make it lower and develop heart failure.

The results are significant because the increase in cerebral vascular accidents and the risks of heart failure observed with higher levels of PM2.5 was recorded after the researchers were adjusted for a range of factors, including age, sex, ethnic origin, the residential framework (urban or rural), deprivation, education, smoking status and alcohol consumption.

Researchers discovered that an additional person in 100 experienced a stroke in the superior 10% of polluted areas, compared to areas with the cleanest air. Two other out of 100 people have developed heart failure in areas with the dirtiest air.

The team analyzed data without examining specific places, so that the results have not revealed what locations in the United Kingdom can increase the risk that residents develop heart failure or stroke.

Atmospheric pollution of the United Kingdom has dropped over the past decade, but scientists say that dangerous levels continue to be reached.

Despite a reduction of 30% of PM2.5 since 2015, the safety limits are still broken in the United Kingdom. It is still 22 days a year on average when the PM2.5 levels exceed the objectives of the World Health Organization.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director of British Heart Foundation, said: “We know that there are no safety levels of air pollution. These first results linking high levels of PM2.5 to heart failure add to an increasing number of evidence that poor air quality is damaging to our heart.

“It is good to know that the type of PM2.5 levels experienced by the inhabitants of this study has already improved since the introduction of government objectives in 2021. However, these levels still exceed the directives of the World Health Organization.

“Going further to reduce air pollution could help the United Kingdom prevent premature cardiovascular disease and save and improve lives for current and future generations.”