Exposure to air pollution linked to increased stroke risk within 5 days: Study
air pollution may be linked to an increased risk of stroke, according to a study. The meta analysis, published recently in the the journal Neurology, defined short-term exposure as occurring within five days of the stroke.
A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
Signs of a stroke can range from mild weakness to paralysis or numbness on one side of the face or body.
«Previous research has established a connection between long-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stroke,» said study author Ahmad Toubasi, from the University of Jordan in Amman.
«However, the correlation between short-term exposure to air pollution and stroke had been less clear.
For our study, instead of looking at weeks or months of exposure, we looked at just five days and found a link between short-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stroke,» Toubasi said.
The analysis involved a review of 110 studies that included more than 18 million cases of stroke. Researchers looked at pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
They also looked at different sizes of particulate matter, including PM1, which is air pollution that is less than 1 micron (μm) in diameter, as well as PM2.5 and PM10.
PM2.5 or smaller includes inhalable particles from motor vehicle exhaust, the burning of fuels by power plants and other industries as well as forest and grass fires. PM10 includes dust from roads and construction sites.
