Air pollution can raise blood pressure Being exposed to particulate matter, a major component of air pollution, for just a few hours can rapidly raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke for many people, researchers said at the American Society of Hypertension annual meeting.

The researchers tested a group of healthy adults, aged 18 to 50, by exposing them to a range of different air compositions. The air containing particulate matter increased diastolic blood pressure in the participants – an effect that was solely attributed to air pollutants. Air without any particulate matter didn’t appear to cause any significant changes in blood pressure.

Factories, cars, wood-burning stoves and forest fires are just a few examples of sources of particulate matter, tiny particles or droplets in the air that can be absorbed into the bloodstream the same way oxygen is. The Heart and Stroke Foundation issued a report Card in February 2008, warning about the year-round threat of air pollution and its impact on heart disease. The report warns that every year, there are approximately 6,000 deaths in Canada because of short-term exposure to air pollution and 69% of these deaths come in the form of heart disease or stroke.

Source: Heart and STroke