HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE FOUND IN PEOPLE LIVING IN URBAN AREAS

People who live in urban areas where particulate air pollution is high tend to have higher blood pressure than those who live in less polluted areas, according to researchers .Acute increases in particulate air pollution, such as day-to-day fluctuations, can raise blood pressure, little was known about medium- and long-term exposure. They found that average arterial blood pressure rose by 1.7 mmHg for an increase of 2.4 µg/m³ in the exposure level to fine particulate matter (under 2.5 μm), which mostly originates from combustion sources in urban areas (traffic, heating, industry, power plants). They found a similar association for coarser particulate matter under 10 μm, which contains more earth crust material and roadway pollution.

"Both, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, are higher in people who live in more polluted areas, even if we take important factors that also influence blood pressure like age, gender, smoking, weight, etc. into account. Blood pressure increases were stronger in women than in men,"

High blood pressure increases the risk for atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries, which leads to cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.