According to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session, living in a heavily polluted area may increase your risk of a stroke. The study showed that people living in areas with higher levels of air pollution experienced carotid artery stenosis, or the narrowing of the arteries in the neck due to buildup of fatty substances, than those in areas where the air is cleaner.
Although there have been several studies that have found an association between air pollution and cardiovascular problems recently, this is the first to specifically look at pollution's effects on the arteries in the neck. These arteries are critical for the transportation of oxygenated blood to the brain, and when they are narrowed or cut off, a stroke can follow. In fact, more than half of the strokes in the U.S. are linked to carotid artery stenosis.
Researchers analyzed 300,000 New York, New Jersey and Connecticut resident's cardiovascular screening tests, provided by the Life Line Vascular Screening program. They compared the rates of carotid artery stenosis in certain ZIP codes with the levels of pollution in these ZIP codes as measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) between 2003 and 2008.
The results of the analysis showed that people who lived in ZIP codes that fell in the top quartile of the air pollution measurements had a 24 percent greater risk of developing carotid artery stenosis than those who lived in ZIP codes in the bottom quartile.
"The results draw attention to the importance of strategies to reduce air pollution," said lead author Jonathan D. Newman.
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