According to a study presented at Heart Failure 2023, a scientific conference on heart failure, European College of Cardiology (ESC), heart failure patients are at increased risk of dying from the condition on the day of contamination and up to 2 days after exposure.
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The results of this study indicate that reducing air pollution may prevent heart failure from worsening. Protecting vulnerable populations, especially during winter, should be an integral part of clinical care. This means that medical professionals work with patients to monitor air quality and choose the best times for outdoor activities..
Dr. Lukasz Kuzma, Study Author, Medical University of Białystok
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is the most serious environmental hazard to human health. This includes particulate matter (PM)2.5 and PM10, mainly caused by automobile and industrial emissions. In 2019, air pollution was predicted to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide.
More than 64 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure. The authors of this study previously found that increased particulate matter was associated with increased heart failure hospitalizations. This study examined the association between smog exposure and short-term heart failure mortality.
The Central Statistical Office provided mortality data for five major cities in eastern Poland from 2016 to 2020. The Environmental Protection Inspectorate has provided PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. Individual exposure to contamination was associated with mortality using home zip codes.
The researchers utilized a time-stratified case-crossover study design, with participants acting as controls. This avoided the possibility of individual characteristics skewing the results. For each participant, pollutant levels on the day of the week on which death occurred (e.g., Tuesday) were compared to pollutant levels on the same day of the week on which no death occurred during the same month (e.g., all subsequent Tuesdays).
Analyzes were repeated 1 and 2 days before death to determine contamination levels. All studies were adjusted for parameters such as time of year, day of week, weather conditions (temperature, humidity, pressure) and long-term patterns of demographics.
87,990 deaths were observed during the 5-year study, of which 7,404 were from heart failure. The average age of those who died of heart failure was 74 years, and women accounted for 49% of deaths.
Deaths were highest in winter and lowest in summer, averaging 1.03 and 0.69 per day respectively. A 10 μg/m3 Increases in PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with a 10% and 9% increase, respectively, in the probability of death from heart failure on contaminated days. Similar possible deaths from heart failure were reported one day after he was exposed to smog and two days after he was exposed to smog.
T.His results suggest that pollution continues to adversely affect heart health two days after smog exposure. Patients with heart failure should minimize their time spent in contaminated areas, for example by avoiding outdoor activities in areas with heavy traffic or high pollution levels and using air filters at home. Additionally, patients can advocate for policies and actions to improve air quality in their communities..
Dr. Lukasz Kuzma, Study Author, Medical University of Białystok
“Our study shows that considering the effects of contamination in public health measures to prevent the effects of disease and ill health may lead to positive outcomes for heart failure patients. Such measures should be taken in parallel with clinical care to improve the prognosis of this condition.Dr. Kuzma concluded.
This project was supported by grant UMO-2021/41/B/NZ7/03716 from the Polish National Science Center and research grants from the Bialystok Medical University UMB-B.SUB.23.290 and UMB-B.SUB.23.509. Supported.
sauce: https://www.Escardio.org