Researchers using cardiac MRI have found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with early signs of heart damage, according to a study published in Radiology.
Researchers using cardiac MRI have found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with early signs of heart damage, according to a study published in Radiology. The research indicates that fine particulate matter in the air may contribute to diffuse myocardial fibrosis.
There is a large body of evidence linking poor air quality with cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. However, the underlying changes in the heart resulting from air pollution exposure are unclear.
“We know that if you’re exposed to air pollution, you’re at higher risk of cardiac disease, including higher risk of having a heart attack,” said the study’s senior author Kate Hanneman, MD, MPH, from the Department of Medical Imaging at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and University Health Network in Toronto. “We wanted to understand what drives this increased risk at the tissue level.”
Dr. Hanneman and colleagues used cardiac MRI to quantify myocardial fibrosis and assess its association with long-term exposure to particles known as PM2.5. At 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less, PM2.5 particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Common sources include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and wildfire smoke.
Read more at Radiological Society of North America
Image: Images from cardiac MRI native T1 mapping show that higher long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution is associated with higher extent of myocardial fibrosis. (Credit: Radiological Society of North America (RSNA))
