Traffic-dense Areas Prove Disastrous to a Heart Patient’s Health

Pollution Causes More than 9 Million Deaths Worldwide Every Year

​Pollution is killing millions of people every year worldwide, almost 9 million people to be more precise. Air pollution alone is responsible for the death of 6.5 million people of the total 9 million due to various reasons such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

We talk about the ever-increasing traffic rates in all our cities and the problems of commutation. How many of us are genuinely aware of the problems due to traffic-related pollution and its sever impact on vascular health, especially in individuals with cardiovascular disease?

A new study has found that when an individual with a higher risk for heart disease is exposed to traffic-related pollution, he/she is exposed to greater chances of high blood pressure and peripheral artery disease (PAD). But, the research could not show any link between long-term traffic exposure and heart disease, especially coronary vessel disease and heart attacks.

Death due to diseases related to the circulatory system, such as heart disease and stroke, account for more than 30% deaths in our country. Hence, this study occupies top-priority and calls for certain drastic measures to be taken. For instance, we need to relook into the proximal placement of schools and nursing homes with respect to dense-traffic areas. The more we are informed about the risk factors associated with vascular diseases, the more we can inform and safeguard the common man from the associated risks.

The effect of the traffic depended on the proximity of the individual to the traffic-centric area. Individuals who reside within a kilometer of a heavy-traffic road were at a higher risk for high blood pressure and PAD. With the blood pressure rates garnering a new definition (click the link www.firsteatright.com for the new systolic and diastolic readings that define blood pressure), more people are categorized as having BP which further elevates the risk of heart diseases.
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Some studies also proved the relationship between pollution due to increased traffic rates and Type 2 diabetes, inflammation and atherosclerosis. Researchers are now interested in analyzing how traffic-related pollution might alter function of genes involved in cardiovascular disease.