Inhalation of ultra-fine dust may cause heart attack

A heart attack can occur after a few hours of exposure to ultrafine dust.

According to Eurek Alert, scientists have found a link between myocardial infarction and frequent exposure to UFP - an ultra-fine dust of 100 nanometers or smaller in size. In urban areas, car emissions are the main source of UFP.

"This study confirms one thing that has long been suspected - ultrafine dust particles in polluted air may be the cause of heart disease. This is especially true in the first few hours of exposure , " said Dr. Kai Chen, assistant professor at Yale School of Public Health, the study's lead author, said. "High levels of UFP in the air are serious health problems."

Fine dust generated by cars can cause a heart attack.Photo: UCSUSA.

UFP is dangerous because it is very small in size, has the ability to penetrate deeply into cells and circulatory systems. Since 1990, scientists have found the impact of UFP on asthma patients. About 200 independent studies later also discovered the negative effects of fine dust on the human body. However, there is no evidence that UFP directly causes a heart attack.

Kai Chen and his colleagues tried to understand the relationship between heart attacks and time and the level of exposure to fine dust of patients.

With the help of colleagues at the Helmholtz Munich Center, Augsburg University Hospital and Nördlingen Hospital, Chen examined data on non-congenital heart disease cases in Augsburg, Germany.

From a study of 5,898 heart patients from 2005 to 2015, comparing the air data with a number of other factors, the authors found that myocardial infarction could occur hours after the patient continued. contact with UFP.

"This is an important step in understanding the amount of ultra-fine dust exposure that can cause health problems , " Chen said. "Future analyzes will combine exposure time, air pollution levels and extreme temperatures. We will also identify vulnerable patient groups related to the medical history and types of exposure. drug used. "

The results of this study were published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, January 2020.

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