In addition to global warming and climate change with its rising sea levels, Dr. Tim Sanborn of Chicago Life Magazine (Summer 2021) addresses the importance of heart issues resulting from air pollution. Now acknowledged by the American Heart Association and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (along with many other organizations), air pollution has become a dangerous health hazard for heart trouble. More than smoking, obesity, and elevated blood glucose, air pollution is linked to over 3 million worldwide cardiovascular deaths annually. Only hypertension has led to greater cardiovascular mortality.
In the environment, air pollutants are found as a complex mixture of gases: carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These gases are primarily produced from auto emissions as well as particulate matter (PM) found in road dust, demolition sites, coal burning power plants, wood burning fireplaces, and the all-too-present recent huge numbers of prolonged out-of-control forest wildfires.
Air pollution affects the heart negatively through the following mechanisms occurring: enhanced blood clotting, increased heart rate and blood pressure, the constriction (narrowing) of coronary arteries, the extended lengthening in time of atherosclerosis (the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and around the artery walls), and the increase of inflammatory biochemical responses in the body. For those with already high heart risk factors and the elderly in general, it is important to know of growing researched evidence existing that air pollution can lead to heart attacks and irregular heartbeats with their resulting strokes. Amongst numerous researched studies, “In the Harvard Six Cities Study of over 8,000 adult participants, the mortality rate in the most-polluted cities was significantly more than in the least-polluted cities,” according to our author. Dr. Sanborn adds “The risk for lung cancer and overall cardiopulmonary mortality was also increased by air pollution.”
Sun City seniors and those living in our community with already existing signs of heart disease can lower their risk factors through management of their weight (diet and exercise), and quitting their personal exposure to daily smoking behavior and/or avoidance of second-hand smoking habits. We are all, indeed, fortunate to live in a semi-rural suburban setting which allows us, at least for the present, to breathe in often less-polluted air than our closer Chicago suburban counterparts. Nevertheless, the below are Dr. Sanborn’s recommendations for adhering to healthier air standards whether driving or exercising outdoors in the Huntley area or elsewhere:
1. Avoid exercising (walking, running/jogging, and biking) close to busy streets.
2. Change the time of day to avoid exercising during periods of highest air pollution, such as rush hour traffic.
3. Be watchful of the daily air quality index as seen on your computer’s/television’s Weather Channel/EPA warnings. When the index is high (often accompanied by high humidity days), eliminate jogging and instead do a walk to be safer.
4. Particularly during these peak times, indoor central air-conditioned exercising may be more appropriate with evidence supporting this action.
5. Make sure your auto has optimal car filter systems to help you and those around you. Close your car windows during rush hours and recycle air inside your car to reduce environment produced polluted air particles at this time.
6. Even if you don’t smoke, reducing any exposure to second-hand smoke is also highly encouraged for everyone! *** With intense heat waves taking place periodically during summer months, larger populated communities, such as Chicago, have found it necessary to monitor the safety of breathing for all of its vulnerable citizens in order to prevent the greater loss of lives.
You can help your fellow Americans through mindfulness of your own responsibilities towards cleaner air. Sanborn concludes with the following two quotes: “Fortunately, because of the Clean Air Act of 1963, particulate pollution levels have been decreasing. In the future, we will need to further reduce oil, gas and coal production, and switch to alternative sources of energy such as electric vehicles, wind and solar energy, if we are going to reduce this important health risk.”
