Air pollution from wildfires is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular incidents like cardiac arrest, according to a new research.
Wildfire smoke has long been associated with respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, but evidences that link wildfire smoke pollution and heart conditions remain "inconsistent," said Anjali Haikerwal, the study's lead author.
In the paper published in the Journal of the American Heart Association last Wednesday, researchers studied the correlation between exposure to wildfire smoke and the risk of heart damage in the Australian state, Victoria, between December 2006 and January 2007, as reported in Science Daily.
During that time, wildfire smoke has reached surrounding cities in Australia. Most days, levels of tiny particulate pollutants have gone beyond the recommended air quality limits.
Researchers studied the particles and found them to have a diameter smaller than 2.5 thousandths of a millimeter, which is considered to be smaller than a speck of dust and is not visible to the naked eye.
After examining these particles, they discovered that there was an increase in particulate concentration in just a couple of days.
With data taken from the state's health registry during the wildfire months, it was found that there was a 6.9 percent rise in "out-of-hospital cardiac arrests;" 2.07 percent increase in ER visits due to ischemic heart disease, and 1.86 percent growth in the number of hospital admissions due to ischemic heart disease.
According to Haikerwal, the findings suggest that the particles could serve as a trigger for untimely cardiovascular events, which is why it is important to seek medical attention if any symptoms of heart problems appear during wildfire episodes.
Fine particulate is considered a very common type of air pollution that's hazardous to health. It comes mainly from burning wood, but it can also come from car exhaust and burning coal.
Haikerwal also advised the medical community to realize how smoke exposure can have a great impact on health, considering that wildfires around the world have increased in intensity and frequency.
