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Air Pollution Link to Heart Disease

Posted on: Monday, 20 March 2006, 15:00 CST

A new report recognising the link between air pollution and heart disease has been published by the Department of Health.

In the report the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution considered the possibility that cardiovascular related deaths, or the worsening of cardiovascular diseases, are directly linked to breathing in polluted air.

It is the first time that this link has been investigated in the UK and the report found air pollutants are likely to associated with increased deaths and hospital admissions for cardiovascular related disease.

This association is not as large as factors such as family history, smoking and hypertension.

Professor Jon Ayres, Chairman of the Committee, said: "The evidence that exposure to air pollutants has important effects on the cardiovascular system is of public health concern and calls for greater research.

"Results from studies should feed into policy-making decision processes across different sectors of Government."

The Committee suggested the inhalations of particles found in the air causes chemical reactions in the body to take place which increase the likelihood of blood to clot and/or atheromatous plaque to rupture, leading to a heart attack.

Those particles subtly affect the control of the heart's rhythm.

Source: Evening Chronicle - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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