Bad traffic may trigger heart attack, says study

Washington, March 15: Bad traffic can significantly raise the risk of a heart attack, says a German study published by the American Heart Association.

People caught in a traffic jam are three times more likely to have a heart attack within one hour, German researchers have found after studying 1,454 people who survived heart attacks.

Many of the subjects had been in bad traffic in the hour before their heart attack.

Traffic jams have a more deleterious effect on females, elderly males, patients who are out of work and those with a history of angina, said lead author Annette Peters from the Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum Muchen, Germany.

"One potential factor could be the exhaust air coming from other cars," Peters said. "But we can't exclude the synergy between stress and air pollution that could tip the balance."

Even the people who adopt healthier ways – riding a bike, walking and running – are at a higher risk of heart attack, if they do so in a congested area.

Heart problems can stem from the stress, which raises your blood pressure. But the harmful effects of pollution also contribute considerably to heart disease, scientists believe.

The air particulate matter and the pollution itself can cause inflammation of the blood vessels, which, along with the development of plaque along the vessel walls, narrows the diameter of the vessel and consequently leads to heart attacks.

"Overall, time spent in any mode of transportation in traffic (driving a car, taking public transportation or riding a bicycle) was associated with a 3.2 times higher risk than time spent away from this trigger," said the research, presented at the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease in Florida.

If there is no less-crowded route to your destination, it is advisable to go the more scenic way. Using scented air freshener in the car and listening to music may also be of benefit in stressful traffic.