High levels of pollutants threaten heart health in China
Heavy air pollution in China could be contributing to a greater instance of coronary atherosclerosis among the country’s general population, according to research out of the University of Buffalo.
Meng Wang, PhD, led the study of 8,867 Chinese adults aged 25 to 92, all of whom had suspected coronary heart disease at baseline. The project focused on how participants’ proximity to vehicular traffic and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide played into their long-term risk for heart disease.
“Atherosclerosis is a lifelong process,” Wang, an assistant professor of epidemiology and environmental health at UB, said in a release. “As such, the effects of air pollution exposure on atherosclerosis are likely to be chronic.”
It’s been estimated that more than 95% of the Chinese population was exposed to higher-than-acceptable concentrations of PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide in 2015. Since over 40% of all global fatalities can be attributed to CVD, Wang said the implications of toxic air pollutants in China could be huge.
Upon analysis, Wang and his team found subjects’ risk of a higher coronary artery calcium score increased by 24.5% for every 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air increase in nitrogen dioxide. The researchers said improving air quality to the Chinese national standards of 35 and 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air for PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide, respectively, might help residents live longer.
“This study may provide evidence that coronary atherosclerosis is a pathological pathway through which air pollution exposure increases risk of death from coronary heart disease,” Wang said. “This finding should contribute to an understanding of air pollutant effects worldwide, providing both much-needed, locally generated data and supportive evidence to inform the air pollution standard setting process on a global scale.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.