Scientists from the University of Jordan in Amman found that short-term exposure to air pollution may be associated with a higher risk of stroke. There is also a high chance that a person will have a stroke within five days of exposure to pollutants. In this respect reports MedicalXpress.
Scientists analyzed data from 110 studies from Asia, Europe, and North and South America. They examined the relationship between stroke and exposure to common pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. The researchers also independently evaluated the potential risks of harm from inhaling dust, dirt, soot and smoke.
Gasoline-powered vehicles emit carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, both of which are dangerous in their own right. These compounds react with sunlight to form ozone, often called smog. Smoke from fires, including forest fires, is also a source of air pollution.
It found that the risk of stroke was almost 30% higher when people were exposed to nitrogen dioxide five days earlier. The risk was 26% higher for carbon monoxide, 15% higher for sulfur dioxide and 5% higher for ozone.
Short-term exposure to areas with high levels of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere was associated with a 33% increased risk of death from stroke. Inhaling sulfur dioxide increases this risk by 60%.
Michael Kleinman, co-director of the Air Pollution Laboratory at the University of California, Irvine, who was not involved in the research, noted that inhaling particulate pollutants causes inflammation in the body, which can trigger paralysis.
Previously recognizedthat headaches are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.