A new study has found a link between exposure to car fumes and stroke, using data from the United States and China.
The researchers, led by Dr. Longjian Liu, an epidemiologist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, discovered that minute soot and dust particles being released into the atmosphere may increase the risk of stroke.
“Seasonal variations in air quality can be partly attributable to the climate changes,” Dr. Liu noted. “In the summer, there are lots of rainy and windy days, which can help disperse air pollution.”
“High temperatures create a critical thermal stress that may lead to an increased risk for stroke and other heat- and air quality-related illnesses and deaths,” he added.
According to a number of scientists, these tiny particles are small enough to pass into an individual’s blood stream, which dramatically increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Previous research has found that particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size, known as PM2.5s, can negatively impact a person’s health in a slew of different ways.
Most experts believe that PM2.5s are created by car exhausts, forest fires, and fossil fuel burning power plants—they have been strongly linked to lung cancer and asthma.
The study found that the southern states in the U.S. had the highest levels of PM2.5s, while the west had the least.
Surprisingly enough, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming around 129,000 lives every year.
Because strokes are caused when the brain is deprived of oxygen, often due to a blockage in the blood vessels, scientists believe PM2.5s from car fumes are increasing the risk of developing those life-threatening blockages.
While public health officials have plenty to do in decreasing the amount of toxic fumes released into the atmosphere, the researchers in this study hope to warn individuals who are at the highest risk of stroke.
“Patients with stroke are in danger of dehydration due to high temperatures in the summer, and are in danger of suffering from pneumonia, influenza and other respiratory diseases in winter,” said Dr. Liu. “Women and the elderly also appear more vulnerable to stroke risk due to air quality and heat-related diseases.”
