Air Pollution, Even in Low Levels, Increases Heart Disease Risk

(Newswire.net — April 6, 2022) Orlando, FL — Multiple research studies have long warned against air pollution, which is associated with the increased risk of diseases.

A study has particularly shown that even at low levels, air pollution appears to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

The findings of this large European study were published in The Lancet Planetary Health.  

The investigators have revealed that prolonged exposure to air pollution can be associated with an increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease. This remains true even when the air pollution levels are below the limits specified by the EU and WHO.  

It is worth noting that this study was carried out by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Helmholtz Zentrum München in Germany.

“Our results indicate that the current air quality guidelines do not provide sufficient protection,” says Petter Ljungman.

Ljungman is an associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet and the joint last author of the article.

This research is a major European collaboration involving over 137,000 subjects from six different cohorts in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany. It is important to mention that they were followed for an average of 17 years. 

Through the course of the study, the researchers tried to determine whether there is an association between stroke or acute coronary heart disease and prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter (particles with a mass less than 2.5 microns in diameter, PM_2,5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), black carbon, and ozone (O₃).

“We discovered a 10 percent increase in the risk of suffering a stroke for every increase of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particulate matter in the air where you live. Our study shows air pollution in urban areas is contributing to the risk of stroke even after adjustment for noise,” says Annette Peters.

Peters is the Director of the Institute for Epidemiology at Helmholtz Zentrum München, who led the study from the German side. 

Over the years, researchers have been carrying out studies to look into the impacts of air pollution and toxins on health. It is worth keeping in mind that the buildup of contaminants and toxins inside the body is linked with a range of undesirable health outcomes. 

This is why it is vital to take the measures found helpful in lessening exposure to these toxins. It may also be beneficial to detoxify the body, and one of the ways to do this is to use activated charcoal.

Activated charcoal, through its highly porous surface, it is used not just for body cleansing but also as a digestive health issue aid. It is obtained widely today through the use of formulas like Divine Bounty Activated Charcoal. (www.amazon.com/Organic-Activated-Charcoal-Capsules-Whitening/dp/B071NZ5G56)