Pollution particles in the air can cause cardiac arrest, study finds

According to scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, the tiny particles air pollution may have been caused by various cardiac arrest in asia country🇧🇷 Researchers published their research findings in scientific journal The LancetPublic HealthBased on data collected between 2009 and 2018.

As part of the Pan-Asian Revitalization Outcomes Study, in partnership with the National Environment Agency (NEA), The scientists evaluated whether there was any relationship between people who had heart attacks outside of hospitals and the levels of microparticles in air pollution. — These particles, called PM2.5, are about 25 times smaller than the width of a hair. Other studies have even linked air pollution with an increased risk of cardiovascular, respiratory and eye diseases.

According to Joel Aik, principal investigator and assistant professor at Duke-NUS, evidence points to a short-term association between exposure to PM2.5 and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The study used a similar methodology used by the World Health Organization (WHO) in which air quality guidelines were defined.

Pollutants and cardiac arrest

“These results make it clear that efforts to reduce particulate air pollution levels to the 2.5 micrograms or lower range, and protective measures against exposure to these particles, may play a role in reducing cardiac arrest in the Singapore population, as well as reducing the burden on healthcare,” Aik said.

Of the 18,131 registered cardiac arrest cases, 492 were identified in subjects with a significant increase in PM2.5 concentrations up to two days prior to cardiac arrest. They also saw a reduction in risk three to five days after exposure to polluted air.

According to the study, the average concentration of the pollutant in the Singapore region was 18.44 micrograms per cubic metre. The researchers say that reducing just one microgram of PM2.5 reduces cases of out-of-hospital cardiovascular problems by up to 8%, whereas a reduction of three micrograms reduces cases by 30%.