EHJ: Reveals the molecular mechanisms by which air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in the population

February 13, 2021 // -- Tiny particles in air pollution, or fine particulate matter, have a range of effects on the health of the body, while high levels of exposure to air pollution species or are directly related to high risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
In a recent study published in the international journal European Heart Journal, scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital and other institutions found that fine particulate matter may have harmful effects on the body's cardiovascular health by activating the production of inflammatory cells in the bone marrow, leading to inflammation of arteries.
The retrospective study included 503 patients without cardiovascular disease or cancer who had undergone imaging tests for a variety of medical reasons, and the researchers used data from air quality monitors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess the average annual exposure levels of fine particulate matter in participants, located near each participant's residence.
Photo Source: CC0 Public Domain experienced major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes over a 4.1-year average of 4.1 years, with those with the highest levels of fine particulate matter exposure having the highest risk of developing the disease, even after taking into account cardiovascular risk factors, socioeconomic factors, and other key conferencing factors.
Through imaging assessments of the internal organs and tissue states of the participants, the researchers found that the participants also showed higher bone marrow activity, indicating elevated levels of inflammatory cells (white blood cell production processes) and arterial inflammation;
Abohashem, M.D., points out that this particular path path may link air pollution exposure to cardiovascular events through high levels of bone marrow activity and arterial inflammation, which accounts for 29 percent of the relationship between air pollution and cardiovascular events.
-related findings suggest that exposure to air pollution may be an unrecognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and researchers are expected to look for new therapeutic targets to help mitigate the effects of air pollution exposure on cardiovascular disease in the body.
The researchers concluded that treatments that target increased levels of inflammation in the body after exposure to fine particulate matter may benefit people who cannot avoid air pollution, and more importantly, air pollution exposure in most population studies falls well below unhealthy thresholds already set by the WHO, suggesting that no level of air pollution can really be proven safe.
() Original source: Shady Abohashem, Michael T Osborne, Tawseef Dar, et al. A leucopoietic-arterial axis underlying the link between ambient air pollution and cardiovascular disease in humans, European Heart Journal, 2021; ehaa982, doi：10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa982