A first-of-its-kind study that replicates city center pollution levels shows how city air pollution can damage the heart and blood vessels for an entire day. After just two hours of breathing in polluted air, the study participants showed the first signs of cardiovascular disease. TheEffects on heart healthlasted 24 hours.
Check harmful air pollution in the city
“To avoid lasting damage, we had to keep pollution levels in the study within safe limits. This means that even safe levels can be devastating to your health if repeated frequently. This is the case with city dwellers.” This is what study author Professor Dimitris Tousoulis from the National University of Athens, Greece, said.
Population studies have documented the negative association between air pollutants (50% of which come from diesel exhaust) and cardiovascular health. However, the specific effects of diesel emissions on the body, leading to disease, are not fully understood. This study shows, above all, how the inhalation of...Diesel exhaust in citiesprolonged for a relatively short period of time and has a variety of effects on the cardiovascular system.
A total of 40 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to a specially designed hermetically sealed laboratory with either diesel exhaust or filtered air for two hours. After four weeks, the participants rotated so that each had one sessionpolluted urban airand had one with clean air. For pollution, diesel emissions were produced by a diesel engine. Throughout the session, concentrations of carbon monoxide and other pollutants were similar to those found in crowded city centers.
Research results
To assess the effects of diesel exhaust on the cardiovascular system, researchers measured the function and suppleness of blood vessels. Heart rate, blood clotting and inflammation all indicated heart health. Thus, they wanted to ensure that changes in these parameters were due to diesel emissions. Participants avoided alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and dietary changes during the study period. Compared to filtered air, simulated city air pollution had a detrimental effect on all measurements over a longer period of time.
“We examined the key steps in the process of clogging blood vessels. These can ultimately cause a heart attack or stroke,” explained Professor Tousoulis. “Short-term exposure to diesel exhaust simultaneously affects these phases and has long-term effects.”
He then concluded: “Our study provides insights into the mechanisms by which diesel exhaust increases cardiovascular risk. The inthis studyThe adverse effects demonstrated are likely to multiply with repeated and, for some people, lifelong exposure to high levels of diesel exhaust in cities through traffic, road tunnels, enclosed garages and major highways. More effective public health measures are needed to improve air quality in cities and prevent unnecessary heart attacks and strokes.”
