These conditions, in turn, interfere with the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system, since they accelerate the development of arterial hypertension. In the world, cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death and hypertension one of the main health risks.
(Keep reading: Bogotá is the city with the worst traffic in the world, according to a new traffic jam index)
This study details that drivers by 2022 spent more than 123 hours immersed in traffic. To Dr. Javier Moreno Cortés, cardiologist, echocardiographer and coordinator of the Chest Pain Unit at the Reina Sofía Clinic in Bogotá, This type of situation generates cardiovascular diseases, which are still considered by the WHO as the main cause of death in the world.without there being any distinction between developed or developing countries.
According to the WHO, more than three-quarters of deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) occur in low- and middle-income countries. Of the 17 million deaths in people under 70 years of age attributable to noncommunicable diseases, 82% are in low- and middle-income countries and 37% are due to CVD.
“Cerebrovascular diseases take on more life than other diseases in the different cities of the planet, and traffic is a space where the undeniable effects of global warming are most experienced, so its direct consequences on our health generally go unnoticed. , making him a silent problem”, Moreno commented.
(You may be interested in: Why are there so many traffic jams in Bogotá?)
Javier Moreno also explains what are the main effects that pollution and noise have on the human body:
1. Traffic increases blood pressure: This is because the cardiovascular system is a system in which the heart performs the function of a motor pump and the arteries the function of hoses. When the hose has a constant flow rate, the blood passes at a constant speed and pressure that allows the system to work in equilibrium; but when you increase pressure or speed, that balance changes. By having a high stress load due to constant traffic, brain, retina, kidney or heart injuries can occur, overloading the human body.
2. Pollution on the roads: The microparticles that circulate in the air in the midst of carbon dioxide contain elements that cause inflammation in the arteries. Being in the middle of traffic jams, the human body is exposed to the vapors that other cars expel, increasing the chances of suffering diseases of this type, which is why cities with high rates of contamination in the world are forced to encourage from time to time the use of masks and respiratory filters to reduce the prolonged effects of exposure to said particles.
3. The noise: This factor causes the body to release harmful substances such as adrenaline and cortisol, which are related to stress and increased heart rate, that is, increased blood pressure. “When we are exposed to high levels of overwhelming, uncomfortable, unpleasant, repetitive noise, our stress level increases to the point of producing hormones that go hand in hand with the survival instinct,” explains Dr. Moreno.
4. Stress: it plays an important role in blood pressure because it may be related to noise, but it also has independent effects. The concern regarding traffic is that there is damage there that is slowly and silently brewing until the cardiovascular problem appears.
It has been scientifically proven that listening to good music or having pleasant conversations with people inside the vehicle or through loudspeakers will reduce the stress generated and increase serotonin. and endorphins that will calm the nervous system.
“This change in mentality has positive effects on our body’s neurological and hormonal response,” concludes Moreno.
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D. Vanessa Ortiz
