Beware, ozone pollution may cause heart attack and stroke

Global warming and ozone pollution can harm your health as a study shows that exposure to ozone can cause heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.

Exposure to ozone — long associated with impaired lung function — can also cause cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke, a study has found. Ozone is a pollutant formed through a chemical reaction that occurs when sunlight interacts with nitrogen oxides and other organic compounds that are generated by coal-burning, vehicle exhaust and some natural sources.

“We know that the ozone can damage the respiratory system, reduce lung function and cause asthma attacks,” said Junfeng Zhang, from Duke Kunshan University in China. “Here, we wanted to learn whether ozone affects other aspects of human health, specifically the cardiovascular system,” said Zhang. Researchers studied 89 healthy adults living in Changsha City, China, for a year. They monitored indoor and outdoor ozone levels, along with other pollutants.

At four intervals, the researchers took participant blood and urine samples and used a breathing test called spirometry to examine a set of factors that could contribute to cardiovascular and respiratory disease. The team examined inflammation and oxidative stress, arterial stiffness, blood pressure, clotting factors and lung function in participants. They noted blood platelet activation (a risk factor for clotting) and an increase in blood pressure, suggesting a possible mechanism by which ozone may affect cardiovascular health.

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