Air pollution hits not only lungs, but heart and blood vessels too
In a new article, researchers have said that air pollution has both short- and long-term toxic effects that injure the heart and blood vessels, increase rates of hospitalisation for cardiac illness, and can even cause death.
"We used to think air pollution was a problem that primarily affects the lungs. We now know it is also bad for the heart," said Robert A. Kloner, M. D., Ph. D., director of research at the Heart Institute of the Good Samaritan Hospital.
When pollutants are inhaled, they trigger an increase in "reactive oxygen species"—superoxiding molecules that damage cells, cause inflammation in the lungs, and spark the cascade of harmful effects in the heart andcardiovascular system.
Recent research suggests that ultrafine air pollutants, such as those coming from car exhaust, may pass into the blood stream and damage the heart and blood vessels directly
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