High Exposure To Air Pollution Reduces The Good Cholesterol, Increases Rates Of Stroke

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A new link has been exposed to air pollution and cardiovascular disease. The recent report suggests, that overexposure to air pollution may reduce the benefits of good cholesterol in body with dire consequences to the health of an individual.

As per Medical News Today, a multi-ethnic study of Atherosclerosis was conducted by Griffith Bell, Ph.D., of the University Of Washington School Of Public Health in Seattle and colleagues. They examined the result of air pollution on 6,654 middle-aged and older adults for over a year and used a cohort-focused monitoring campaign. The campaign linked each subject with the area they lived in and with the air pollution level of that area at that time. The aim of the research was to analyze the level of HDL Cholesterol in each candidate. HDL cholesterol is good cholesterol that is much needed in the body as it reduces LDL or Low-Density Lipoprotein from the body which is known as bad cholesterol.

The result of the study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology put up a depressing image where areas are having high exposure to air pollution, particularly from traffic, show the adverse effect on high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. The research assessed not only the overall levels of HDL cholesterol but also the number of HDL particles as the latter presents a more accurate indication of the benefits of HDL on the heart, reported Hindustan Times.

With reducing HDL level, there will be the greater accumulation of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body which has the potential to harm arteries and can lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is hardening and narrowing of arteries that cause heart attack or strokes. The team found higher exposure to particulate matter (PM) primarily black carbon holds the most risk of causing cardiovascular disease. The effect of the research holds true for both men and women, though, in women the effects have been found more profound.