Environment

    Air Pollution Linked To Early Death In Heart Failure Patients: Study

    Air Pollution
    Inam Ansari
    May29/ 2023

    Prague: According to a study, heart failure patients are more likely to pass away from their condition on polluted days and for up to two days afterwards. The research was presented at Heart Failure 2023, the European Society of Cardiology's (ESC) scientific conference. "The findings indicate that reducing air pollution has the potential to prevent worsening heart failure," said study author Dr Lukasz Kuzma of the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. "Protecting vulnerable groups, especially during winter, should become an integral part of clinical care. That means health professionals working with patients to monitor air quality and choose optimal times for outdoor activity." According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is the single most serious environmental threat to human health. This includes particulate matter (PM)2.5 and PM10, which are mostly caused by vehicle exhaust emissions and industrial smells. In 2019, it is predicted that ambient air pollution will cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide. Heart failure affects more than 64 million people worldwide.4 The authors of the current study previously found that rises in particulate matter were associated with increased hospitalisations for heart failure.5 This study examined the relationship between smog exposure and short-term mortality from heart failure. Mortality data from the five main cities in Eastern Poland from 2016 to 2020 were obtained from the Central Statistical Office. Concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were retrieved from the Inspectorate for Environmental Protection. Home postcodes were used to connect individual pollution exposure with mortality. The researchers used a time-stratified case-crossover study design in which participants ...

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