A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that both short and long term exposure to different kinds of air pollution is linked to high blood pressure in children and teens.
Blood pressure has 2 measurements: systolic (when the heart is pumping) and diastolic (when the heart is resting between beats). A blood pressure measurement of 120/80 means that the systolic (pumping) blood pressure is 120, and the diastolic (resting) blood pressure is 80. If a person has high blood pressure with either measurement, it can cause long-term health problems and can lead to premature deaths. Children and teens who have high blood pressure often have high blood pressure as adults.
The researchers found that short-term exposure to coarse particle air pollution (PM10) was linked to high diastolic (resting) blood pressure in children and teens.
They also found that long-term exposure to fine particle air pollution (PM2.5), PM10, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were all strongly linked to higher systolic (pumping) blood pressure in children and teens. Of the 3 kinds of air pollution, PM2.5 had the strongest effect. Long-term exposure to all 3 kinds of air pollution were also linked to elevated diastolic (resting) blood pressure in children and teens, though the link was not as strong as for systolic (pumping) blood pressure. And again, PM2.5 had the strongest effect of the 3 kinds of air pollution.
Why is this a problem? Children and teens who have high blood pressure often have high blood pressure as adults too. High blood pressure can damage your arteries, and also your heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and other organs. If children have high blood pressure, they are already starting the process of accumulating damage, leading to chronic health problems when they’re adults.
This study tells us another reason why we need to clean up our air! Air pollution causes lifelong chronic illness, and why we say that Healthy Air IS Health Care.
Read about the study in News-Medical.net.
Read the scientific study in JAHA.
08/03/2021
