Rising pollution levels linked to increased strokes

It may seem like an obvious link; inhaling polluted air simply cannot be good for the cardiovascular system. But science demands measurable outcomes to make a conclusion, and rightly so. New research shows that climate change and overall air quality - including higher pollution levels - are linked to a higher number of strokes. The latest results were presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2016, which takes place February 17th-19th, in Los Angeles, CA.
Each year in the US, stroke kills nearly 130,000 people, which is 1 out of every 20 deaths. And worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of global death, trailing heart disease.
To conduct their study, researchers used data from "the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases," which are responsible "for about one third of global warming to date," says lead study author Dr. Longjian Liu, from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
The two countries are the US and China.
Dr. Liu and his colleagues explain that their study is one of the first to look into the interaction between air quality and stroke prevalence alongside temperature.  To carry out their research, the team looked at air quality data collected in 2010-2013, from 1,118 counties in 49 states in the US - and from 120 cities in 32 Chinese provinces.
They explain that particulate matter (PM) is air particles including dust, dirt, smoke and water droplets. The greatest health risks arise from particles that are less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5).
Such particles are 1/30th the diameter of a human hair, are not visible to the human eye and are created from car, power plant and forest fire combustion.
After studying the data, the researchers observed that the total number of strokes increased by 1.19 per cent for each 10 μg/m3 increase of PM2.5. Furthermore, they found significant regional differences in PM2.5 levels linked to stroke prevalence.
In detail, southern America had the highest average annual PM2.5. Interestingly, the South has the highest prevalence of stroke, at 4.2 per cent.
Conversely, the West had the lowest average annual PM2.5, and this region of the US has the lowest stroke prevalence, at 3 per cent.

Medical News Today

Rising pollution levels linked to increased strokes

It may seem like an obvious link; inhaling polluted air simply cannot be good for the cardiovascular system. But science demands measurable outcomes to make a conclusion, and rightly so. New research shows that climate change and overall air quality - including higher pollution levels - are linked to a higher number of strokes. The latest results were presented at the American Stroke Associations International Stroke Conference 2016, which takes place February 17th-19th, in Los Angeles, CA. Each year in the US, stroke kills nearly 130,000 people, which is 1 out of every 20 deaths. And worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of global death, trailing heart disease. To conduct their study, researchers used data from the worlds two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for about one third of global warming to date, says lead study author Dr. Longjian Liu, from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. The two countries are the US and China. Dr. Liu and his colleagues explain that their study is one of the first to look into the interaction between air quality and stroke prevalence alongside temperature. To carry out their research, the team looked at air quality data collected in 2010-2013, from 1,118 counties in 49 states in the US - and from 120 cities in 32 Chinese provinces. They explain that particulate matter (PM) is air particles including dust, dirt, smoke and water droplets. The greatest health risks arise from particles that are less than 2.5 m in diameter (PM2.5). Such particles are 1/30th the diameter of a human hair, are not visible to the human eye and are created from car, power plant and forest fire combustion. After studying the data, the researchers observed that the total number of strokes increased by 1.19 per cent for each 10 g/m3 increase of PM2.5. Furthermore, they found significant regional differences in PM2.5 levels linked to stroke prevalence. In detail, southern America had the highest average annual PM2.5. Interestingly, the South has the highest prevalence of stroke, at 4.2 per cent. Conversely, the West had the lowest average annual PM2.5, and this region of the US has the lowest stroke prevalence, at 3 per cent. Medical News Today