| Strokes and Air Pollution Air Pollution: A New Risk Factor for Ischemic Stroke Mortality Last week's edition of Stroke, published by the American Heart Association, contained the article Air Pollution: A New Risk Factor in Ischemic Stroke Mortality. The report details the findings of a 7 year study in Korea that found a significant link between air pollution levels and deaths from ischemic stroke. (Ischemic strokes are caused by blood vessel blockages, as opposed to hemorrhagic stroke caused by leaking blood vessels). The study looked at five air pollutants individually, including particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone.They found each of the five pollutants was individually associated with increaesd deaths from ischemic stroke ranging from immediate deaths up to deaths 3 days after the air pollution event. The authors concluded that air pollutants are significantly associated with ischemic stroke mortality, due to acute effects on the cerebrovascular system induced by air pollution. Tennessee has seen a total of 44 ozone exceedance days in cities statewide so far this summer. Seven of those days of high ozone were recorded in the Nashville / middle Tennessee area. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has had 36 ozone alert days so far this year. (Stroke. 2002;33:2165.) |
 |