Blood pressure: How air pollution from traffic can cause increases

Traffic-Related Air Pollution Increases Blood Pressure, Study Finds

• Traffic-related air pollution was associated with a significant increase in blood pressure among car passengers, a study finds.
• Researchers report that the blood pressure increase is on par with other cardiovascular risk factors such as lack of exercise or excessive salt intake.
• Experts note that cabin air filters and other filtration devices, including masks, can lower exposure to dangerous air pollution particles.

People wearing masks while driving alone in their cars may not be so foolish after all.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 might also filter out highway air pollution that a new study says can cause a serious and sustained spike in blood pressure.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reports that riding in automobiles and breathing unfiltered air was associated with a 4.5 mm Hg increase in blood pressure.

The blood pressure increase from exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) was found to peak within 60 minutes and persist for up to 24 hours, according to the researchers from the University of Washington.

Impact of Traffic-Related Air Pollution on Blood Pressure

“Traffic-related air pollution, even at levels now considered low, appears to cause a substantial increase in blood pressure,” Dr. Joel Kaufman, a study corresponding editor and a University of Washington professor, epidemiologist, and environmental health expert, told Medical News Today. “This is an effect of breathing traffic-related particles, since it was not from the stress of being in a car, driving a car, or noise; the study design is able to account for all those things by using sham filtration vs real filtration, and the subjects were passengers and not drivers.”

“It was stunning how quickly this led to a rise in blood pressure and that it persisted for so long,” Dr. John Higgins, a sports cardiologist at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today. “Maybe we need to think about high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in automobiles or cities doing something about air pollution.”

Reducing the Impact of Air Pollution on Blood Pressure

The study findings suggest that daily commuters breathing unfiltered highway air pollution could be experiencing dangerously elevated blood pressure throughout the workweek and perhaps even more if they drive on the weekends as well, said Higgins.

TRAP may include ultrafine particles known as PM 2.5, black carbon, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other particulate matter.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), past studies have suggested that PM 2.5 particles are linked to a wide range of cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, asthma and other breathing problems, and premature death.

In the experimental study, researchers drove 16 subjects ages 22 to 45 years of age through traffic in Seattle, Washington, for three days.

For two days, unfiltered air was allowed to flow into the vehicle. On the third, a HEPA filter was installed.

Study subjects did not know whether the car had a HEPA filter — which can screen out dangerous PM 2.5 particles along with other pollutants — or an ineffective sham filter.

Blood pressure was monitored up to 24 hours before, during, and after the drives.

Kaufman and his colleagues said they found that the drives in vehicles with unfiltered TRAP were associated with significant net increases in blood pressure compared with drives with HEPA in-vehicle filtration.

The 4.5 mm Hg rise in blood pressure detected was significant, researchers said. For every 20 mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic increase in blood pressure, mortality from heart disease and stroke doubles.

Higgins said the TRAP-related blood pressure increase detected in the study was similar to that caused by poor diet, lack of activity, or smoking.

The study also demonstrated that the effects of air pollution on blood pressure may be reduced with effective cabin air filtration, Kaufman said.

However, most cars are not equipped with HEPA filters, nor are such passenger cabin air filters available for every make and model of automobile.

“Regular filters don’t work that well in the car, as you can tell when you can smell the exhaust from another vehicle with a bad muffler on the road,” noted Higgins.

“A good practice is to change the cabin air filter in your car just like you do the in-house filter on your furnace,” about once a year, said Wold.

Wold said that while a HEPA cabin air filter would be ideal, even a regular filter can eliminate some PM 2.5 sized particles, especially if the car’s climate control system is set to recirculate cabin air rather than bringing in air from outside the vehicle.

And yes, wearing an N95 mask while driving can also filter out PM 2.5 air pollution particles as well as preventing the spread of communicable diseases such as COVID-19.

The study also highlights the potential health risks of TRAP exposure among people other than automobile drivers or passengers, such as those who live close to highways, factories, or airports, said Kaufman.

Dr. Edo Paz, a cardiologist and senior medical vice president of medical affairs at the online cardiovascular health company Hello Heart, told Medical News Today that there is “some

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• SDG 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 3.9: Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to air pollution.
• Indicator for SDG 11.6: Ambient air pollution levels in cities.
• Indicator for SDG 13.2: Adoption of national policies and measures to mitigate air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

The article addresses the issue of traffic-related air pollution and its impact on blood pressure. This is connected to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) as it focuses on reducing deaths and illnesses from air pollution. It is also connected to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) as it highlights the need to pay attention to air quality in cities. Additionally, it is connected to SDG 13 (Climate Action) as it emphasizes the integration of climate change measures into policies and planning.

The specific targets identified based on the article’s content are SDG 3.9 (reducing deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air pollution), SDG 11.6 (reducing the adverse environmental impact of cities, including air quality), and SDG 13.2 (integrating climate change measures into policies).

The indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards these targets are the number of deaths and illnesses attributed to air pollution (SDG 3.9), ambient air pollution levels in cities (SDG 11.6), and the adoption of national policies and measures to mitigate air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (SDG 13.2).

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Source: medicalnewstoday.com

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