Tue 13 Feb 2007
Recently in The Lancet a paper was published that presents evidence that kids who live with 500 yards of a highway have less lung function as an adult. The study collected data from over 3000 kids in southern California for a period of 8 years. Air pollution from traffic apparently keeps their lungs from developing properly.
Decreased lung functioning at a younger age increases the chances of respiratory and cardiovascular disease later on in life.
Another report in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that the risk of heart disease such as strokes and heart attacks is greatly increased in women who are exposed to fine particulate air pollution. This type of pollution is made of very tiny particles and comes from the burning of fossil fuels. It is not yet known how these particles result in such problems but it may be due to them causing inflammation in the blood vessels and the lungs - which could then lead to the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries.