Heart Attacks Common in Women Living near Polluted Roads: Study

Living near busy roads with too much vehicular movement exacerbates risk of heart diseases in women, according to a study.

Past studies have confirmed the dangers of living close to polluted areas and main roads on cardiovascular health. A recent research by experts from the Harvard Medical School found that women who live in urban regions and major roadways of the country have increased risk of dying from heart attacks. They examined health data of over 107, 130 female participants aged 60 on average and also measured the distance between their residence and busy roads. The study also recorded other variables like age, race, season, habits like smoking, drinking, diet and level of physical activity.

During the entire period, a total of 523 cases of death due to cardiac arrest occurred and these victims mostly lived less than 50 meters away from major roadways. In addition, the research  noted the risk rate for cardiac arrest decreased by 38 percent for those who lived 500 meters away. With every 100 meters closer to roadways the probability of developing a heart condition increased by six percent.

The researchers attribute air pollution as the primary cause of heart disease and attacks in women and these results were uniform among all participants irrespective of their age, race and socio-economic status.

"It's important for healthcare providers to recognize that environmental exposures may be under-appreciated risk factors for diseases such as sudden cardiac death and fatal coronary heart disease, n a population level, living near a major roadway was as important a risk factor as smoking, diet or obesity," said Jaime E. Hart, study lead author and instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, reports the Red Orbit.

"Regardless of where you live, adopting heart-healthy habits, such as maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, eating nutritious foods, quitting smoking, and managing stress, can help decrease your risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Our next step is to try to determine what specific exposures, such as air pollution, are driving the association between heart disease and major roadway proximity," adds Hart. 

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association. More information is available online in the journal circulation.