Air pollution, especially its smallest particles, has contributed to a 30 percent global increase in heart-related deaths and disabilities since 1990, according to a new study.
Pollution has affected men more than women, with poorer regions of the world affected more than wealthier ones, according to the study published this month in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
The most notable culprit, particulate pollution, appears outdoors in the form of dirt, dust, soot or smoke from coal and gas power plants, vehicle emissions, agriculture, dust, pollen and smoke from forest fires, while cooking or heating using charcoal or wood creates the matter inside.
These tiny particles are not picked up by the body’s defenses and are easily inhaled, making their way into the lungs and bloodstream. They have long been known to contribute to numerous health problems and premature death.
For the study, the researchers analyzed 30 years of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Lead author Dr. Farshad Farzadfar, of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, noted that his team had found a 43 percent increase among men, compared with 28 percent among women, in certain cardiovascular conditions. .
Over three decades, deaths and disabilities from particulate matter outdoors increased while indoors they decreased, the researchers found. The inhabitants of the richest regions lived longer, but with a higher rate of disability, while in the poorest areas there were fewer years lived with disability, but more premature deaths.
“The reason for the decrease in the household air pollution load from solid fuels could be better access and use of cleaner fuels, such as refined biomass, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, solar energy and electricity,” noted Farzadfar, along with better stoves and better ventilation.
“The change in trend from domestic pollution due to solid fuels to outdoor environmental pollution (by particles) has important implications for public policies,” he concluded.
