Report: Traffic Smog May Contribute to Heart Disease

Taking the lives of more than 600,000 people in the U.S. each year, heart disease remains the nation's leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC). While we know some risk factors of heart disease include obesity, diabetes and heart disease, a new report suggests that automobile air pollution may also contribute to cardiovascular problems.

Last weekend, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation and the European Heart Network launched a new campaign called the "Environment & the Heart Campaign" in an effort to raise awareness for the heart problems caused by traffic pollution. The Environment & the Heart Campaign was launched at the annual ESC Congress, which is one of the world's largest and most esteemed events covering cardiovascular health and well-being, with more than 30,000 doctors, professors and researchers in attendance.

According to the ESC, cardiovascular disease is responsible for roughly 80% of all premature deaths linked to traffic air pollution. The problem is so bad, in fact, that experts from the aforementioned organizations advise patients who are either suffering from heart disease or have a high risk of developing heart disease to stay indoors during rush hour traffic.

But the concept of air pollution being linked to health problems isn't a new idea. As noted in the ESC report, health consequences of air pollution were first described as far back as 1930 in reference to the Meuse Valley fog.

"Dramatic health consequences of air pollution were first described in Belgium in 1930 after the Meuse Valley fog,” said Dr Argacha, the study's lead author. “Nowadays, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers air pollution as one of the largest avoidable causes of mortality. Besides the pulmonary and carcinogenic effects of air pollution, exposition to air pollution has been associated with an increased risk in cardiovascular mortality.”

So, how can you mitigate the harmful effects of traffic-related air pollution? For starters, you should be aware of the current smog levels in your respective city and surrounding area. Most of the major U.S. cities post this information online, allowing residents to see exactly how bad the smog is on any given day. If you live in Georgia, for instance, you can view the smog report by visiting http://www.air.dnr.state.ga.us/smogforecast/.