China: A recent study conducted in China has found a strong link between spikes in air pollution and an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias.

The study, based on nearly 200,000 hospital admissions, found that there was a significant increase in the risk of arrhythmias within the first few hours of exposure to high levels of air pollution. The risks could persist for up to 24 hours.  Arrhythmias can further increase the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

The study included 190,115 patients admitted to hospitals in 322 Chinese cities, who were suffering from sudden onset arrhythmia, including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, premature beats and supraventricular tachycardia. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had the strongest association with all four types of arrhythmia.

The study also suggested that the exposure risk from six pollutants was roughly linear, without an obvious safe threshold. Air pollution in China is well above the World Health Organization’s guidelines for air quality. The exact impact of air pollution is not clear, but there is some evidence that it causes oxidative stress and inflammation, which can affect the heart’s electrical activity.

Air pollution is a major public health issue, and the health impacts extend beyond heart disease. Particulate air pollution is driving up rates of lung cancer, by awakening dormant mutations that trigger the growth of tumors.

It is estimated that more than 160,000 people could die in the coming decade from strokes and heart attacks linked to air pollution. Therefore, the authors stressed that the findings, published in the Canadian Medical Associatiown Journal, highlight the need to protect at-risk people during heavy air pollution and to reduce overall exposure.

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