{"entry":{"title":"How Air Pollution Hurts the Heart","date":"Sat, 08 Mar 2014 05:00:00 +0000","author":"Peter Leary et al., American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicin","description":"
Exposure to high levels of traffic-related air pollution is associated with changes in the right ventricle of the heart that may contribute to the known connection between air pollution exposure and heart disease, according to a new study.\"<\/p>
Although the link between traffic-related air pollution and left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure, and cardiovascular death is established, the effects of traffic-related air pollution on the right ventricle have not been well studied,\" said lead author Peter Leary, MD, MS, of the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. \"Using exposure to nitrogen dioxide as a surrogate for exposure to traffic-related air pollution, we were able to demonstrate for the first time that higher levels of exposure were associated with greater right ventricular mass and larger right ventricular end-diastolic volume. Greater right ventricular mass is also associated with increased risk for heart failure and cardiovascular death.\"<\/p>","original_link":"http:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2014-03\/ats-tap030414.php"}}