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Breathing polluted air in traffic can significantly spike blood pressure for up to 24 hours, reveals a recent study. This revelation is crucial, given the persistently poor air quality experienced in New Delhi and nearby areas over the past month. Prolonged exposure to traffic-related air pollutants has been associated with a range of health issues, from cardiovascular disease and asthma to lung cancer and premature mortality.
Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the study highlighted that inhaling traffic-related pollutants within unfiltered vehicles caused a notable 4.5 mm Hg rise in blood pressure—a surge akin to the impact of a high-sodium diet. This blood pressure shift was rapid, peaking within an hour of exposure and enduring for a full day.
Joel Kaufman, a University of Washington professor specializing in environmental and occupational health sciences, emphasized that even slight population-wide increases in blood pressure correlate with a marked upturn in cardiovascular problems. He underscored air pollution’s contribution to heart ailments and emphasized the study’s revelation about how roadway pollutants significantly affect blood pressure.
The study found that using high-quality HEPA filters in cars successfully blocked out 86% of particulate pollution. Yet, it also raised concerns about ultrafine particles—an unregulated and poorly understood pollutant garnering increasing attention among public health experts.
Traffic-related pollution comprises high concentrations of these microscopic ultrafine particles, invisible to the naked eye. Unfiltered air demonstrated elevated levels of these particles, even though the overall pollution level, measured by fine particle concentration (PM 2.5), remained relatively low at an equivalent AQI of 36.
Kaufman highlighted that ultrafine particles were the pollutant most effectively filtered in their study, indicating their potential significance in impacting blood pressure. While further research is necessary to solidify these findings, the study presents a compelling clue into this intricate connection.
