From Deseret News archives:
Does pollution raise heart risks?
Study finds exposure boosts hospitalizations
The research is being presented today by Benjamin Horne, Ph.D., director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at IMC, to the American Heart Association's scientific sessions in New Orleans. It follows on an early study by the same researchers showing small-particulate pollution increases the risk of heart attacks.
Increasingly, cardiologists can help patients survive heart attacks, but many of them then live with after-effects, including heart failure. Since it's known that short-term, heavy pollution can increase the risk of heart attacks, the researchers wondered if exposure over a longer term to air pollution would increase the impact on heart failure patients during and shortly after exposure.
They found a 14-day lagged cumulative average of PM2.5 pollution was associated with a 13.1 percent increase in heart failure admissions. The number went up among elderly patients who had been previously hospitalized for heart failure and were only back in the hospital for a short time; their 14-day lagged PM2.5 was linked to a 32.4 percent increase in heart failure admissions. Lagged average exposure after 21 days was linked to an increased risk of 14.5 percent, according to the study abstract.
The study suggests that air pollution may play a "small, but important role in precipitating acute cardiac decompensation" in patients who otherwise have pretty good control of their heart failure, Horne says.
While the research doesn't say definitely why pollution over time increases hospitalizations, he notes several possibilities. Heart arrhythmias can influence heart failure and it's believed that pollution makes heart rhythm disorders worse. About half of heart failure resulted from heart attack, and higher levels of inflammation are associated with increased risk of heart attack. Plus, pollution increases inflammation. Or those factors could all combine. It's also possible that higher levels of pollution decrease heart rate variability the difference between how fast the heart beats when exercising and at rest which is already a problem for people with heart failure. If the rate never goes down, the heart is overworked.
The good news in the study, Horne said, is that people are working hard to reduce air pollution and improve the air quality. "As we get a handle on that, we can potentially reduce the risk." And in most cases, researchers believe at least some of the damage can be reversed, he says.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com
Recent comments
Various additional studies(UCLA, Stanford) have implicated exposure...
mary giacoletti | Nov. 12, 2008 at 11:43 a.m.
Wake up all of you! Not only does the 'inversions' cause heart...
cantbreathe | Nov. 10, 2008 at 7:47 p.m.
Reason - Having read his work in the past,Pope's research is a heck...
Lacking Reason? | Nov. 10, 2008 at 4:16 p.m.
- RSL advances to MLS Cup 9:06 p.m.
- Stanford ends Y's soccer season 9:04 p.m.
- New Mexico has not quit on season 8:56 p.m.
- Obama pushing arms-control 8:56 p.m.
- Reversing food shortage in Kenya 8:55 p.m.
- U.N. food chief on hunger strike 8:53 p.m.
- Hall ties Detmer's record for wins 8:43 p.m.
- 2A championship: Key defense 8:39 p.m.
- Utah soldier is laid to rest 8:38 p.m.
- James leads Cavaliers past Jazz 8:37 p.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
- Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
- D-Will home for daughter
- Bench proves fruitful for Y.
- Utes excited for 'dream' game
- Snowstorm hits Utah; 1 dead in crash
- Born of water and the spirit
- GameDay in Fort Worth
- No. 22 BYU holds off pesky Lobos
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
356 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - Senators want food tax restored
164 - No. 22 BYU holds off pesky Lobos
159 - Will state consider gay rights law?
148 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
130 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
105
If you are looking for a bird on the cheap, the following specials from...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
NO ONE has been taught that science is pure and only seeks for truth, in...
I'm not going anywhere. I like it here. You Utah-BYU fans are more...
...but I will take this weekend every weekend. I love it. I love to see ute...
You guys are in a class of your own. I think it will be called 3rd grade...
54-21. Ouch. How many did they score against BYU again? Only 38 I think.
YEEEEHAAAWWWW!!! See you in Seattle!
We got Maynor baby!!! And Matthews too!!! ( did I get his name right?) ...
Hey silly one. Today we can compare our bad win against your really bad,...
I will be the first to admit that I an a Utah FAN hater. I have learned well...
My deepest condolences to those he left behind. May God be with you in your...
