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Posted on Aug 13, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
The inhalation of pollution in the air can damage more than just the lungs as the heart and blood vessels could also be at risk, it has been asserted.
The inhalation of pollution in the air can damage more than just the lungs as the heart and blood vessels could also be at risk, it has been asserted.
An article published in the August 26th issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has revealed that such pollution has both short and long-term toxic effects on organs, can result in an increased rate of hospitalization for cardiovascular conditions and can even result in death.
Pollutants can trigger an increase in cell-damaging superoxiding molecules which can inflame the lungs when they are inhaled, Eurekalert notes.
In news that may be of interest to anti-aging physicians, recent research suggests that some fumes can pass directly into the bloodstream and damage the heart, leading to a decrease in coronary flow and pump functionality.
It is believed that the elderly and patients with heart disease or diabetes are particularly at risk.
Robert Kloner, director of research at the Heart Institute of the Good Samaritan Hospital in LA, said: "Patients with cardiovascular disease shouldn't exercise outside on days with increased air pollution levels."
In related news, researchers at the US National Institutes of Health have revealed that high doses of vitamin C may reduce cancerous tumors.
