![Exposure to Air Pollution Levels can be Deadly for Elderly Exposure to Air Pollution Levels can be Deadly for Elderly](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/short-term-exposure-to-air-pollution.jpg)
‘Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide can put you at an increased risk of stroke, atrial fibrillation, flutter and pneumonia.’
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Researchers examined hospitalization records for more than 63 million Medicare enrollees in the US from 2000 to 2016 to assess how long-term exposure to air pollution impacts hospital admissions for specific cardiovascular and respiratory issues. The study measured three components of air pollution: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3).
The researchers calculated the study participants' exposure to the pollutants based upon their residential zip code.
Additional analysis included the impact of the average yearly amounts of each of the pollutants on hospitalization rates for non-fatal heart attacks, ischemic strokes, atrial fibrillation and flutter, and pneumonia.
Statistical analyses found thousands of hospital admissions were attributable to air pollution per year.
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Data also showed there were surges in hospital admissions for all of the health outcomes studied with each additional unit of increase in particulate matter.
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There was an increased risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation associated with long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide.
Pneumonia was the only health outcome in the study that seemed impacted by long-term exposure to ozone; however, researchers note there are currently no national guidelines denoting safe or unsafe long-term ozone levels.
"When we restricted our analyses to individuals who were only exposed to lower concentrations of air pollution, we still found increased risk of hospital admissions with all of the studied outcomes, even at concentration levels below current national standards," added Yazdi.
Source-IANS