Why millions of Britons at risk of heart failure?

Air pollution is hazardous to health. Millions of people in UK are at risk of poor health conditions or heart failures.

According to the Guardian, a study finds that millions of Britain face a higher risk of stroke and heart failure because of dirty or poor air quality.

People living in the most polluted areas in UK are more likely to get heart failures or strokes as compared with the people living in the areas with clean air as per new research findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Madrid, which is considered to be the world’s largest heart conference.

Ghita Housni, lead author from the William Harvey research institute at Queen Mary University of London, said:

“We know cleaner air means healthier hearts, and this research lays bare the impact of air pollution on public health. Reducing your exposure to air pollution is a crucial part of preventing heart conditions in the modern age and lowering your risk of heart failure and stroke. We need to improve air quality by introducing public health strategies which strongly prioritize cardiovascular protection.”

According to the UK Biobank data, the researchers evaluated the PM2.5 in the areas where the participants lived and investigated rates of heart failures and stroke in the same people for over a decade.

Of all the common air pollutants, PM2.5 is associated with the greatest proportion of adverse health affects related to air pollution both in the United States and world-wide, based on the World’s health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Project, reports California Air Resources Board CARB.

Pollutant PM2.5 is released from sources including vehicles, industries and household heating.

Moreover, these particles are considered as 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, making them small enough to get into the bloodstream after being inhaled.

Those living in the worst 10% of areas for PM2.5 pollution had a 27% higher risk of developing heart failure, compared with people in the least bad 10% of areas for PM2.5 pollution. The risk of having a stroke was 7% higher for people in the areas with the dirtiest air, the study found.

For every extra one microgram in an area where people lived, the risk of developing heart failure increased by 7% and the stroke risk grew by 3%.

Furthermore, these Highest PM2.5 levels were recorded after researchers adjusted for a range of factors including age, sex, ethnicity, residential identification, deprivation, education and smoking or alcohol consumption.

Despite a 30% reduction in PM2.5 since 2015, safety limits are still broken in the UK.

Scientists reports that the UK air pollution has dropped in the last decade but dangerous levels still continue to be reached. There are still 22 days a year on average when pollutant levels exceed the WHO Index.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director, British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s good to know that the kind of PM2.5 levels experienced by the people in this study have already improved since the introduction of government targets in 2021. Nevertheless, these levels still exceed World Health Organization guidelines.”

“Going further to reduce air pollution could help the UK to prevent premature cardiovascular disease, and save and improve lives for current and future generations,” said Sonya.