Smog will damage your clogs: Exposure to exhaust fumes increases heart attack risk

Research published by the British Medical Journal today claims that people who are exposed to higher levels of traffic pollution have a raised risk of heart attacks for six hours following.

The implications of the data are that those with heart disease should avoid areas of high traffic pollution levels.

It is important to note that the pollution is not the cause of heart attacks but will accelerate their development. As stated by key researcher, Krishnan Bhaskaran, “…these are cardiac events that probably would have happened anyway… it looks like it brings a heart attack forward by a few hours.”