Health Tips
Heart Disease and Environmental Factors

Heart Disease and Environmental Factors

Environmental factors are important factors that can trigger an acute heart attack. Patients with coronary heart disease should avoid outdoor activities in a cold or heavily polluted environment

 

Triggering Factors for Heart Attack

 

 

Air Pollution is closely related to Coronary Heart Disease

 

  Pollutants Result
 
Harvard University, USA PM 10 Increase in hospital admissions for coronary heart diseases
University of Edinburg, UK PM 10 Increase in hospital admissions for coronary heart diseases
University of Ottawa, Canada PM 2.5, PM 10
CO, NO2, SO2, O3
Increase in hospital admissions for coronary heart diseases
Harvard University, USA NO2 Increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmia
* CO =Carbon Monoxide

 

Studies by the Department of Community and Family Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

 

Relationship between air pollution and hospital admission
Pollutant* Percentage increase in hospital admissions
  Respiratory Illnesses Asthma Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease Pneumonia and Influenza Cardiovascular Disease Heart Failure
Nitrogen Dioxide(NO2) 2.0% 2.6% 2.9% 2.8% 1.3% 4.4%
Sulphur Dioxide(SO2) 1.3% 1.7% 2.3% -- 1.6% 3.6%
Particulate matter <10μm(PM10) 1.6% 1.5% 1.9% 2.5% 0.6% 4.8%
Ozone(O3) 2.2% 3.1% 3.2% 2.2% 1.3% 3.8%
(* Rise of 10μg per cubic metre) (Source: Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 1999)

 

Exposure in polluted area may lead to atherosclerosis

 

 

Maintenance of a good liver is vital as it protects the body against harmful chemicals.

 

Pollutant can cause atherosclerosis in animal