Air pollution raises risk of heart diseases, study finds

Air pollution could increase the chance of having a heart attack by lowering levels of ‘good’ cholesterol in the bloodstream, the Independent reports, citing new research.

A study of more than 6,500 people in the US aged 45 to 84 found exposure to black carbon – a marker of traffic-related pollution – was “significantly associated” with reduced amounts of HDL cholesterol.

Higher amounts of fine particles known as PM2.5, which are produced by burning fossil fuels, were also linked to less HDL, which has a protective effect.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that air pollution, much of it invisible, causes serious health problems.

The British Heart Foundation described it as a “silent killer” which was responsible for a “myriad of changes in the body”, such as increased blood pressure.

A paper about the study in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology said: “We found that higher concentrations of PM2.5 over a three-month time period was associated with lower HDL-P, and higher annual concentrations of black carbon were associated with lower HDL-C.

“Lower HDL particle numbers have been associated with … cardiovascular events in previous studies, and lower HDL-C is a traditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease.”

The paper said the negative effects on good cholesterol were lower but “comparable” to the kind of positive changes seen when people give up smoking.