Smog Can Make Blood Pressure Soar: Studies

Smog Can Make Blood Pressure Soar: Studies

Pay attention to air quality, researchers advise

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- More evidence links air pollution with increased risk of developing dangerous high blood pressure.

The findings stem from a review of 17 studies conducted around the world. Each assessed a possible link between blood pressure and dirty air related to common pollutants, such as vehicle exhaust, coal burning and airborne dirt or dust.

"Our results demonstrated that air pollutants had both short-term and long-term effects on [high blood pressure] risks," said study author Tao Liu. He is deputy director of the environmental health division in the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health in Guangzhou, China.

In the short term, he noted, a few days of increased air pollution could lead to more emergency hospital visits due to temporary spikes in blood pressure. In the long term, those living with consistently high levels of air pollution could end up with chronically high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a key risk factor for stroke and heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide. And high blood pressure itself is associated with about 17 percent of fatalities globally, the study authors pointed out.

"It is urgent to take more actions to protect our environment and clean the air quality," said Liu.

For now, people -- especially those with high blood pressure -- should "closely focus on the air quality every day, and try to avoid outdoor activities or wear filtered masks when air quality is poor," Liu said.

According to background notes with the study, causes of high blood pressure (or "hypertension") include genes, lifestyle habits, diet and environmental factors -- probably including air pollution. Until now, evidence linking smog with high blood pressure has been controversial, Liu said.

For this project, investigators analyzed 17 studies conducted through August 2015. The studies involved roughly 328,000 people in all, about 108,000 of whom had high blood pressure.

Those investigations were conducted in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Iran, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the United States. Short-term pollution exposure was defined as occurring over a number of days, and long-term exposure over a number of years.

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