Is Your Daily Commute Giving You a Heart Attack?

Recently, German researchers from the University of Duisberg-Essen found that regularly commuting in heavy traffic or living in high-traffic areas can contribute to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and an increase risk of a heart attack. Using ongoing data from three industrialized cities in Germany, the researchers found that breathing air pollution at this level created the same damage as inhaling second hand smoke.

They surmised the artery damage was most likely caused by a high concentration of particulate matter from vehicle emissions. This is the first study to establish a direct link to air pollution created by traffic and arterial damage.

“The only immediate protective action that can be taken by people living close to heavy traffic is increased attention to known cardiac risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure,” said Dr. Hoffmann, head researcher for the project. “Over the longer run, community action is needed.”

Using data already on record, Forbes magazine compiled three factors to come up with the unhealthiest commutes in the U.S. They looked at levels of particulate pollution; the estimated time spent in rush hour traffic; and the per-capita fatal car accidents registered for a region. From the collected data, the unhealthiest workday drives are: Riverside, CA; Atlanta, GA; and Los Angles, CA. Apparently LA drivers spend the most time in traffic.

The average American takes 25 minutes to drive to work, during that time the California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates this time equals 50% of a person’s daily exposure to fine particulate matter – one of the worst pollutants to inhale and a known contributor to heart disease.

See the Source:
Heartzine.com
Forbes

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