German researchers have found that poor air quality does not significantly affect the benefits of physical activity. In areas with poor air, regular physical activity reduces the risk of first and second heart attacks. The study was conducted on more than 50,000 people from Denmark, Germany and Spain.
Bad air does not affect the positive effects of sports?
Until 2018, experts did not know whether poor air quality reduces the beneficial effects of physical activity. Scientists from Denmark, Germany and Spain investigated this issue in 51,868 adults aged 50 to 65 years.
It was found that higher levels of NO2 in the air for 17.7 years increased the risk of heart attack.
A high nitrogen dioxide content increased the risk of a first heart attack by 17%. If the patient previously had a heart attack, the probability increased by 39%. However, regardless of air quality, the risk was lower in physically active people.
Fewer heart attacks regardless of air quality
Moderate cycling 4 hours a week reduces the risk of having a heart attack by 31%. People who engage in other sports at the same time reduce their likelihood by even 58%, regardless of air quality.
The first myocardial infarction was also less common among those who went in for sports with poor air quality. Myocardial infarction decreased by 15% among those who were a universal athlete. Cycling alone reduced risk by 9%.
In total, the group had 2936 first heart attacks and 324 repeated ones. In people who developed a heart attack, NO2 increased the risk of recurrence of the disease. The newly established limits of NO2 are controversial among scientists. It may be necessary to revise the accepted values to reduce the risk to the general population.
How dangerous is air pollution?
According to the Ministry of Health, too high ozone levels result in 13,600 premature deaths per year. However, the estimate of premature death for 2013 was slightly higher on the European continent: 550,000 deaths in 41 states.
The issue of air quality in Russia is not fully understood. Of particular concern is the revision of current ozone standards. According to new data, even low levels of ozone can be harmful to health.
The EEA report shows that "there are still problems in air quality." The German federal government in recent years has not been able to adequately protect people. It called for a ban on the sale of diesel cars. In Russian cities, nitric oxide emissions are mainly caused by diesel vehicles.
Researchers from the University Hospital of Jena. They observed all patients who were treated for an acute heart attack from 2003 to 2010. The analysis included data from nearly 700 patients who were within a radius of 10 kilometers from the hospital.
The data on the emissions of nitrogen oxides, ozone and particulate matter into the air were analyzed. Scientists recorded whether the concentration of air pollutants changed 24 hours before the onset of the first symptoms of a heart attack.
The results surprised the experts: a linear relationship was observed between the concentration of nitric oxide and myocardial infarction. The risk of a heart attack doubled if the concentration of NO2 increased by 20 μg / m3 within 1 day.
Rapid increases in nitric oxide levels have been observed in a supposedly clean city such as Jena. Such phenomena occur approximately 30 times a year.
As a place of research, scientists deliberately chose a "clean" city. Over the past 8 years, the city has complied with the current European limit standards.
A rapid increase in nitric oxide concentration occurs even in a supposedly clean city such as Jena. This is probably due to an unusually high traffic volume or meteorological factors that contribute to the development of smog.
Further studies are aimed at elucidating the factors underlying the sharp increase in the concentration of nitric oxide. According to scientists, diesel fuel significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients. In recent years, the European Union has been reviewing limit values for the concentration of nitric oxide in air.
