Pollution isn’t just choking your lungs, expert warns it could trigger heart attacks and strokes |
When we talk about pollution, most of us think about coughing, burning eyes, or that heavy feeling in the chest after a bad air day. Lungs take the blame every single time. But here’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention, pollution doesn’t stop at your lungs. It quietly travels deeper and starts messing with your heart and blood vessels too.With pollution levels rising in cities and even smaller towns, breathing clean air is becoming less of a given and more of a luxury. Over time, this increases the risk of heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, and even sudden cardiac events. Pollution also raises the risk of stroke.. For people who already have high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, polluted air acts like fuel on a fire. But even young, seemingly healthy people aren’t completely safe anymore.
Several studies have found that pollution can trigger cardiac events and stroke risk. As per a study published in JAMA, in a cohort of 3.7 million adults, a 10 μg/m³ increase in 1-year mean PM2.5 raised incident acute myocardial infarction risk by 12% (95% CI, 7%-18%), ischemic heart disease mortality by 21% (13%-30%), and CVD mortality by 8% (3%-13%), even below 12 μg/m³ standards.ID@undefined Caption not available.A meta analysis of 94 studies (6.2 million events) published in BMJ found that PM2.5 increases (10 μg/m³) linked to 1.1% higher stroke hospital admissions/mortality (95% CI 1.1-1.2%), with strongest day-of-exposure effects for PM2.5 and traffic markers like NO2. Another meta-analysis confirmed PM10 and benzene from traffic as triggers for MI onset, with positive associations per 10 μg/m³ PM10 increase.A study showed PM2.5 (IQR 6.4 μg/m³) increased ischemic stroke odds by 11% (95% CI 1.03-1.20) within 12-14 hours, strongest for traffic-related pollution.
How pollution affects heart and overall health
Not just these studies, doctors are also warning against the growing trouble of pollution. “In addition to its adverse health effects on the respiratory system, there is now an increased understanding that air pollution has major impacts on heart disease as well. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) enters the bloodstream through the lungs, which leads to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, resulting in damage to blood vessels. This damage causes plaque buildup inside arteries, leading to plaque rupture and ultimately to heart attack, stroke, arrhythmias, heart failure, and a greater likelihood of cardiac events,” Dr Rohit Goel, Principal Consultant, Cardiology, Max Hospital, Gurugram told TOI Health.
“Acute cardiac events may occur following short-term spikes in air pollution; however, this is especially true for individuals with pre-existing heart disease, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), or those who are older. Chronic or long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with the development of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular disease, even among young adults who do not have the traditional risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease,” he added. “Unfortunately, the effects of air pollution on heart health and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease often occur silently, without warning signs. Therefore, prevention of these cardiovascular diseases is critical. Prevention includes minimising exposure to air pollution, controlling lifestyle risk factors, and increasing awareness that air pollution is a significant threat to heart health,” he concluded.The scary part? You don’t feel this damage happening day to day. There’s no warning cough or chest pain at first. It builds silently. Which is why pollution isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s a serious heart and brain health issue we can’t afford to ignore anymore.
