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- Indoor Air Quality and Heart Disease
- By: HIRAM PEREZ
According to the US EPA, the air inside your home or office is often times four or more times more polluted than outside air. Although researchers have known for years that air pollution leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (the number one killer in America), a new research published in the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" is the first study of its type to investigate the link with indoor air. The results of this research will not only surprise you, they'll point out something you can do right now to help protect yourself and your family.
The Background of the Study
In the study, a team of researchers from Sweden and Denmark looked at the affect of tiny particulates on endothelial cells. Endothelial cells line the interior surfaces of all blood vessels as well as the heart, and support blood flow by performing a number of important functions including reducing friction (and thereby reducing the work load on your heart). A reduction in the Microvascular Function (MVF) of endothelial cells through inflammation or other types of stresses can lead to a number of cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis.
Why study "tiny particles?" Because a significant portion of air pollution is made up of "particulates," tiny airborne particles that are found in auto and diesel exhaust, cigarette or other types of smoke, and industrial stack emissions. These tiny particles are microscopic in size and are easily inhaled into the lungs where they enter the blood stream and contact the endothelial lining.
The study was a randomized, double blind study performed on 21 nonsmoking couples aged 60 to 75. All participants were in good health and all lived near busy roads meaning that they were routinely exposed to road dust as well as auto and diesel exhaust. The couples were studied in their homes and were randomly selected to be exposed to filtered air followed by non-filtered air, or the other way around while the researchers measured the amount and chemical properties of the particulates in the air. After every test, the Microvascular Function (MVF) of each individual was measured.
The Results and Conclusions
Once the research was concluded, some of the more significant results showed that:
* MVF was significantly linked to being exposed to particulates containing iron, potassium, copper, zinc, arsenic, and lead. This is important to those of us that happen to live near industrial or manufacturing plants.
* Filtering the indoor air improved MVF by more than 8%. This is pretty significant and is something any of us can achieve by following some of the recommendations listed below.
* The diameter of the airborne particles and their mass, had a greater effect than their total number concentration. In other words, the smallest particles (smaller than 2.5 micrometers) were the biggest hazard, mainly because these particulates are too small to be caught by the body's natural defense systems and can easily enter the lungs and blood stream.
Based on their results, the researchers concluded that,"Reduction of particle exposure by filtration of recirculated indoor air for only 48 hours improved MVF in healthy elderly citizens, suggesting that this may be a feasible way of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease."
The Limitations of the Study
It's significant to note some of the limitations of the study in order to get a more balanced view of the results. First, note that all of the participants were in an age group (60 to 75) that is particularly susceptible to respiratory and cardiovascular disease to begin with. However, this does not mean that everyone else is immune.
According to the US EPA, the people that are most at risk from airborne particulates, mold, or other respirable hazards include:
1. Young children and babies (their respiratory and immune system is still developing)
2. The elderly (their respiratory and immune system is not as efficient as it used to be)
3. The sick or immune compromised (their respiratory and immune system is already under attack)
4. People with underlying respiratory disease such as asthma or severe allergies.
Secondly, this study only looked at the effect of airborne particulates on the cardiovascular system so it was a very narrow study. The study did not include other common factors that also affect IAQ such as allergens, dust, pet dander, dust mites, mold, temperature and humidity, to name a few.
What You Can Do
Although it's true that this particular research focused on the elderly (aged 60 to 75), I personally believe that the results apply to all of us to some extent or another. The extent that you are affected by particulates is going to depend on your age, your genetic makeup, your over all health and fitness level, your work and living conditions, and so on. Most of these you can't do anything about. However, there is one factor you have some degree of control over: the amount of airborne particles in your home. Fortunately, there are a number of easy ways to reduce the amount of particulates floating around in your indoor air.