Air Pollution Can Damage Arteries of Even Healthy People, Scientists Say

Minute particles of polluted air can impair the inner lining of veins and arteries even in healthy individuals, exposing them to a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, according to a three-year study in Utah. Even though it's a well-known fact that air pollution can lead to strokes or heart attacks, this surprising discovery suggests that heavy levels of air pollution can wreak havoc not only among the sick or elderly but also in healthy adults, said Timothy O'Toole, a member of Kentucky-based Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Louisville.

Air pollution causes premature deaths of approximately 4,000 people in the U.K. alone, with children and the elderly facing the highest risk, reported The Independent. The World Health Organization has warned people about the dangers of air pollution. The U.K. government was recently taken to court since they failed to maintain the levels as laid down by European Union limits, and scientists are of the view that this is not a difficult feat to achieve.

In this latest study, a group of 72 individuals from Provo in Utah, with the average age being 23, gave their blood samples for testing during the cold wintry months from 2013 to 2015. Scientists found that when the level of pollutants in the air rose, the number of dead cells in the bloodstream shot up. These findings indicate that living in a polluted environment can pose health risk even at an earlier age, said Professor Aruni Bhatnagar of Louisville University. Besides damaging the blood vessels, the particles were also associated with a growth in immune cells like killer T cells. These fine particles, known as PM 2.5, are very risky but the way on how they are a threat has not yet been fully understood, according to Professor Jeremy Pearson, associated with the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The study was published in the journal Circulation Research.