Researchers from King’s College London have found that air pollution can increase the risk of hypertension in young people. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hospitalization, and death. Rapidly growing adolescents may be particularly sensitive to the long-term effects of exposure to air pollutants, but most previous research has focused on adults.
For the new analysis, the researchers used data on 3,284 young people from London. They looked at the effects of two of the most common air pollutants: nitrogen dioxide and particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5).
The researchers found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide was associated with lower systolic blood pressure, and exposure to PM2.5 was associated with higher systolic blood pressure. These relationships were stronger in girls than boys.
No correlation was observed between air pollutants and diastolic blood pressure. The authors’ conclusions indicated that more research is needed.