Beijing Pollution Can Be Life Threatening

Staying in Beijing can prove to be fatal for your health. The heavily polluted air in the Chinese capital, within 24 hours of inhaling, can cause serious heart problems for the people. This fact has come out in a study done by two researchers in pulmonarydefine medicine and critical care at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Gokhan Mutlu, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the Northwestern’s Feinberg School and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital said, “If the air quality is bad, you are more likely to have serious heart disease related events.”

The researchers warned that inhaling high levels of polluted air can cause heart attacks and strokes within 24 hours of exposure and also increase the probability of developing blood clots in the legs of affected persons while going back home on a plane from Beijing.

The study elaborates that polluted particles in the air which are less than one-tenth of the diameter of a human hair can make the blood thicker and sticky. When these polluted particles reach the lungs, a substance called interleukin-6 is released, which causes blood clotting. And travelling long distances by car or a plane can further increase the risk of developing clots.

There are people in certain risk groups who are more likely to be affected by the pollution. These include people who already have a history of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, lung disease or addiction to smoking.

The study published in 2007 showed that pollution can be a major cause of heart attacks and strokes. Mutlu added that “Being exposed to higher levels of pollution may unmask heart disease even if you have never had any symptoms.”