Air Pollution and Circulatory Illness

Air pollution can trigger heart attacks and strokes in people with heart disease.
When the air quality is low, limit your time outdoors.

According to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, air pollution is a risk factor for heart disease. Just a few weeks or even hours of exposure to high levels of particulate matter — the kind of pollution caused mostly by the burning of fossil fuels — can trigger heart failure, irregular heartbeats, heart attacks and strokes in susceptible individuals.

Long-term exposure to high concentrations — like living near a freeway or working as a cook in an unventilated kitchen — may even reduce a person’s life expectancy by months or years.

Though it may sound alarming, the risk of death and heart disease are still much lower from pollution than other modifiable risk factors like smoking, not exercising and eating a non-heart-healthy diet. Still, it’s always a good idea to limit your exposure to pollution and follow a heart-healthy lifestyle.