Particles in air pollution cause a wide range of
damaging effects to the cardiovascular system, according to a
landmark report published last week.
The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air
Pollutants (COMEAP) report found that air pollution can cause
damage to the cardiovascular system in the following
ways:
-
increasing blood pressure
-
making the blood more likely to clot
-
the build-up of fatty materials inside the
arteries, reducing the space through which blood can flow –
also known as atherosclerosis
-
altering the heart’s normal electrical rhythm –
also referred to as arrhythmias
-
causing inflammatory effects on the cardiovascular
system – or systemic inflammation
The report marks the most comprehensive review to
date and examines the studies conducted over the past decade on
the potential biological mechanisms by which exposure to air
pollution results in adverse cardiovascular health
effects.
In this new report, COMEAP found clear evidence that
exposure to small particles of air pollution has a wide range of
effects on the cardiovascular system, including irregular
heartbeat and blood clots. The COMEAP report also provides
recommendations where new research is needed to get a more
precise understanding of the impact of air pollution on
cardiovascular health.
It follows the publication of a COMEAP report in July
this year, which estimated that long-term exposure to the air
pollution mixture in the UK contributes to between 28,000 and
36,000 deaths every year [1]. The WHO also estimate that almost
six in ten deaths related to outdoor air pollution being caused
by a heart attack or stroke [2].
The British Heart Foundation, which contributes
funding to COMEAP’s work on cardiovascular disease, says the
findings are alarming, and highlight the urgent need for
government action to prevent thousands of premature deaths every
year.
The charity believes that adopting more stringent WHO
air quality guidelines into UK law is a crucial step in
protecting the nation’s heart health. Having these targets in law
will help to ensure that action to reduce air pollution will be
effective in reducing the risk to people currently living with
cardiovascular disease.
Professor Frank Kelly, chair of the Committee
on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
said:
‘This review found several possible mechanisms which
may explain how particulate air pollution contributes to
cardiovascular disease and brings into sharp perspective the
impact of ambient pollution on public health.’
Simon Gillespie, chief executive at the
British Heart Foundation said:
“This thorough report gives us a clear view of the
damaging impact air pollution has on our heart and circulatory
system. While there are steps that people can take to reduce
their exposure to air pollution we can’t expect people to move
house to avoid air pollution - Government and public bodies must
be acting right now to make all areas safe and protect people
from these harms.
“We were reassured to see that the Government’s draft
clean air strategy had a focus on health, but we need a
commitment to WHO guideline limits for particulate air pollution
in UK law to drive action to better protect the nation from the
damage to health caused by air pollution.
“Having these targets in law will also help to
improve the lives of those currently living with heart and
circulatory diseases, as we know they are particularly affected
by air pollution.”
To read COMEAP’s report please click
here.
