Toxic air raises the risk of heart disease
AIR pollution can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, scientists have warned.
Even low levels of toxic air can cause changes in the heart’s structure which could be linked to the early stages of cardiac failure, research revealed.
Outdoor air pollution contributes to the deaths of about 50,000 people a year in the UK, the majority of which are from heart and circulatory conditions.
A team of scientists at Queen Mary University in east London has now warned the public to be aware of their exposure levels, after finding “significant changes in the heart even at relatively low levels of air pollution exposure”.
The researchers studied around 4,000 participants.
They found that even healthy people who live near busy roads and are exposed to higher levels of nitrogen dioxide were at risk of developing larger right and left ventricles, the heart’s main pumping chambers.
Plans
Dr Nay Aung, who led the analysis, said: “Although our study was observational and hasn’t yet shown a causal link, we saw significant changes in the heart even at relatively low levels of air pollution exposure.
“Air pollution should be seen as a modifiable risk factor. Doctors and the general public all need to be aware of exposure when they think about their heart health, just like they think about their blood pressure, their cholesterol and their weight.”
The Government’s draft Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans to tackle toxic air pollution, is committed to halving the number of people in the UK living in areas where pollution levels exceed World Health Organisation guidelines by 2025. But health campaigners say the plans are flawed.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “The Government must act right now to make all areas safe and protect the population from these harms.”
The study was published in the journal Circulation. MYA STEER, 19, has an inherited heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, and insists air pollution makes her “struggle to breathe”.
The youngster, who lives near Bristol, was diagnosed just after her 18th birthday in last year.
Mya, who works at South Gloucestershire Council, had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted in February.
The device, inserted into the chest, shocks the heart back into rhythm if it suddenly stops. She also underwent a procedure called an ablation, which corrects an abnormal heart rhythm, and takes medication to treat a blood clot on her lung, caused by her condition.
She said: “My heart condition means that I often struggle to breathe anyway and air pollution makes me feel much worse – it’s pretty instant.
“This research just goes to show that pollution is affecting us all, whether we live in busy cities or more rural areas where we might feel protected from pollution. There is no safe limit for air pollution for me, or for anyone who is concerned about their heart health. We all need the Government to do more.”
She added: “In my area, the air pollution is not too bad but I have noticed it is getting worse. There’s more transport which means the pollution is getting worse. It’s only 10 miles into Bristol city centre.
“When I go into the city, I subconsciously hold my breath a bit, which I know is not good as I won’t be getting enough air. And I’ll deliberately avoid walking near cars if I can see there are a lot of fumes. I’ve actually stopped going into the city centre a lot now.”
It is thought that up to 64,000 people in the UK are affected by ARVC. It is caused by a mutation in one or more genes that can lead to cells in the heart muscle being damaged.
Former England cricketer James Taylor is a high-profile sufferer who was forced to retire at the age of 26.
‘I often struggle to breathe, and the air makes me feel worse’