There has been lots of research in recent years on the dangers of air pollution and how it can lead to heart disease. We knew there was a link but we didn’t know why, until now. Scientists from the Queen Mary University in London found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5 and PM10, causes the two chambers in the heart, the left and the right ventricle, to increase in size. In short, pollution puts stress on the heart, causing it to expand. This type of change to the heart is similar to that caused by high blood pressure and just like high blood pressure, if left untreated it can lead to heart disease and eventually death.
This latest research shows that we need to be thinking about exposure to air pollution in the same way we think about high cholesterol, high blood pressure and being overweight. The risks are as high and can potentially threaten our lives.
For more on the latest research, follow the link here
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/03/air-pollution-linked-to-changes-in-heart-structure
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