SAN ANTONIO – As the extreme temperatures and poor air quality rise throughout the state and country, so does the risk of a heart attack. A recent study by the American Heart Association showed the dangerous combination of both factors doubling one’s risk of having a fatal heart attack.
“Extreme temperature events are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense, and their adverse health effects have drawn growing concern,” said senior author Yuewei Liu, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China.
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The AHA looked into how the co-exposure to extreme temperatures, including low and high, along with fine particulate pollution, might interact to trigger the greater risk of death from a heart attack.
Researchers analyzed over 200,000 heart attack deaths between 2015-2020 in a Chinese region with four distinct seasons, a wide range of temperatures, and fine particulate pollution levels.
Women and older people were found to be most at risk.
“Our findings provide evidence that reducing exposure to both extreme temperatures and fine particulate pollution may be useful to prevent premature deaths from heart attack, especially for women and older adults,” Liu said.
In the study, researchers focused on PM2.5 pollution particulates which refer to tiny particles or droplets in the air. According to officials, they are so small that the largest particles are about 30 times smaller than human hair.
Results of the study confirmed that days of extreme heat temperatures and higher PM2.5 levels were associated with higher odds of death from myocardial infarction.
Overall, researchers estimated up to 2.8% of heart attack deaths may be attributed to a combination of extreme temperature and high levels of fine particulate matter pollution.
As for San Antonio is concerned, the Alamo city remains at a moderate air quality index of PM2.5, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Historically speaking, the Dallas Fort Worth region has held the most harmful and widespread types of air pollution and is currently ranked as the unhealthiest air pollution.
To avoid adverse health effects from extreme temperatures, author Liu recommends the following:
- Following weather forecasts
- Staying inside when temperatures are extreme
- Using fans and air conditioners during hot weather
- Dressing appropriately for the weather, proper hydration, and installing window blinds to reduce indoor temperatures
When it comes to pollution, Liu recommends “using an air purifier in the house, wearing a mask outdoors, staying clear of busy highways when walking and choosing less-strenuous outdoor activities may also help to reduce exposure to air pollution on days with high levels of fine particulate pollution.” She also reminds readers that “to improve public health, it is important to take fine particulate pollution into consideration when providing extreme temperature warnings to the public.”