Slight Decreases in Air Quality and Higher Risk of Strokes

Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Acute Ischemic Stroke (Abstract, Gregory A. Wellenius, Mary R. Burger, Brent A. Coull, Joel Schwartz, Helen H. Suh, ScD; Petros Koutrakis, Gottfried Schlaug, Diane R. Gold, Murray A. Mittleman, Arch Intern Med., Feb. 13, 2012)

Also discussed here:  Even Moderate Air Pollution Can Raise Stroke Risks (Science Daily,Feb. 13, 2012)

Also here: Air pollution may increase stroke, heart attack risk (Anne Harding, CNN Health, Feb. 15, 2012)

Today, we review research that looked at the increased risk of short term exposure to slightly higher levels of air pollution (i.e. “moderate” compared to “good”), measured at hourly intervals. Results indicated that the onset of stroke occurs within 12-14 hours and that the most hazardous type of pollution (NO2 and PM2.5)comes from vehicles and traffic.


 
Key Quotes:

"The link between increased stroke risk and these particulates can be observed within hours of exposure and are most strongly associated with pollution from local or transported traffic emissions"

“Harvard's hourly measurements of pollution within 13 miles of 90 percent of the stroke patients' homes allowed for close matching in time of exposure and stroke onset…The increase in risk was greatest within 12 to 14 hours of exposure to PM2.5”

“days of moderate air quality substantially elevate stroke risk compared to days of good air quality..These results suggest that exposure to PM2.5 levels considered generally safe by the US EPA increase the risk of ischemic stroke onset within hours of exposure”

“reducing PM2.5 pollution by about 20 percent could have prevented 6,100 of the 184,000 stroke hospitalizations in the northeastern United States in 2007”

“black carbon and nitrogen dioxide, two pollutants associated with vehicle traffic, were closely linked with stroke risk, suggesting that pollution from cars and trucks may be particularly important”

"Any proposed changes in regulated pollution levels must consider the impact of lower levels on public health."

Related articles

• Study finds even moderate air pollution can raise stroke risks; risk rises within hours of exposure (greencarcongress.com)
• Moderate 2.5 micron Particulate exposure increases stroke risk by 34% within 12-14 hours (nextbigfuture.com)
• Even moderate air pollution can raise stroke risks (eurekalert.org)
• Stroke Risks Increased By Air Pollution, Even A Moderate Amount (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Air Pollution Tied To Cognitive Decline, Stroke (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Air Pollution Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke (healthland.time.com)
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• A Few Days of Air Pollution May Trigger Heart Attack, Stroke (habwwe.wordpress.com)
• Warning over air pollution link to stroke: research (telegraph.co.uk)
• The Health Costs of Asthma caused by Traffic-Related Air Pollution (pollutionfreecities.blogspot.com)
• Air Pollution May Increase Stroke, Heart Attack Risk (news.health.com)
• Health Impacts from Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Biomass Fuels (pollutionfreecities.blogspot.com)
• Air Pollution (aneeshneelam.wordpress.com)
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